KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — The Dewan Rakyat today passed the budget for the transport ministry through a bloc vote after the debate at the committee level today. 

The RM6.05 billion allocation was supported by 109 MPs while 94 voted against it and 17 were absent.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong delivered his winding-up speech without much disruption from the floor, although he did ignore several calls for interjection from Opposition MPs. 

Wee also ignored a question from DAP’s Seremban MP Anthony Loke who asked the minister to review the government’s decision to withdraw cancellation of cabotage exemption for undersea cable maintenance works. 

“I want to ask for a bloc vote because the minister did not answer questions,” Loke said after a voice vote called by Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon could not offer a clear distinction between MPs who were in favour and those who were against it.

Disputes regarding the cancellation of cabotage exemption were raised during the ministry’s policy stage debate last week where Wee was aggressively interjected by Loke who was formerly the transport minister and DAP’s Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo who was communications and multimedia minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration. 

Both former ministers insisted that Wee did not understand digital industry and the negative impact that could occur due to the cancellation of the cabotage exemption for vessels that did undersea cable maintenance. 

The highest number the Opposition bloc had achieved through a bloc vote was 104 during the International Trade and Industry Ministry bloc vote last week. 

This makes five budgets passed with a bloc vote so far and seven with voice votes.