KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 ― Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his Perikatan Nasional (PN) government are the saviours of Malaysia, Umno’s Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim claimed today.

Shahidan, who is also the Perlis Umno chief, also claimed that any MPs who reject the government’s proposed Budget 2021 would be traitors to Malaysians.

Urging critics to no longer call the PN government as a "backdoor government”, Shahidan sought to explain the chain of events that led to the new coalition being installed as government.

Among the events recounted by Shahidan include how the Pakatan Harapan government had collapsed with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s pullout and how Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had became the interim prime minister, as well as how the inability of any candidate to receive full support from all MPs to be the new prime minister had resulted in Muhyiddin being selected as prime minister as "many” MPs back him.

Shahidan claimed that the previous government could not do anything while facing Covid-19 and when it was briefly under an interim prime minister earlier this year.

"When we supported Pagoh to be prime minister, Pagoh became prime minister and what we see today, he is the best. I want to say that this government is the government that is the saviour to the political crisis that struck our country, so Pagoh is a saviour,” he said, referring to Muhyiddin as the Pagoh MP and also the current PN government.

Commenting on speculation that some MPs among PN would reject the Budget 2021 and effectively cause the collapse of the government, he described this as fear mongering.

"This is creating suspicion and we are embarrassing those who are veteran politicians who have entered politics even before we were born. Pekan entered politics, Bagan Datuk, Gua Musang entered even earlier,” he said, referring to Umno politicians ― Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Bagan Datuk MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

"But I want to say this, anyone who rejects this budget, including my friend Pekan, khianat rakyat (betray the people), because the people is waiting for this budget to be approved,” he said, claiming that it would also be an "insult” against the public for MPs to reject Budget 2021.

Shahidan, who had earlier in his speech said the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) supported the Budget 2021, went on to say that he supported Muhyiddin fully.

In the same speech, Shahidan had listed out 19 proposals for changes or improvements to Budget 2021, including extending the government’s cash handouts under the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat IBPR) programme to the middle-income or M40 group if they earn less than RM8,000, while also asking for the cash aid to be distributed over two times in a year. 

Shahidan also proposed that the allowance of all MPs be cut by 10 per cent to be contributed to the government’s Covid-19 fund, while also offering to have his own allowance as MP cut by 20 per cent.