By Amar Shah Mohsen
SHAH ALAM, Nov 22 – It is not out of the ordinary to table a supplementary budget as this typically involves unforeseen expenditure that was not considered when preparing the annual supply bill, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said this in response to Opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who questioned the state government for requesting an additional RM125 million to fund expenses for this year under the 2023 Supplementary Budget Enactment Bill.
Addressing the State Legislative Assembly, Amirudin reminded the Hulu Kelang assemblyman that Selangor had in fact tabled and passed a supplementary budget in 2015 when he was the state menteri besar.
“Supplementary budgets have been allocated in the past, like in 2022, on the back of the major flooding then. Similarly in 2019, I sought an additional RM123 million. I would regard this year’s RM125 million allocation as reasonable.
“Supplementary budgets were made in the past due to various factors. Take 2015 for example, an additional RM105.15 million was allocated, while in 2014, it involved a sum of RM498.06 million.
“However, I believe the supplementary budget in 2014 was not entirely down to you (Azmin) as you only took state power in the final months prior to the tabling of the budget,” he said today.
Azmin became menteri besar in September 2014, succeeding Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, and serving in the position until June 2018.
Earlier, the Selangor Perikatan Nasional chairman argued that a good and responsible government would not need a supplementary budget as all required expenditure would have been projected ahead of the tabling of the annual budget.
Amirudin said this year’s allocation is required to fund a number of unforeseen expenditures, including the state election, increase in utility bills, and payments towards state civil servants for overtime, traveling and medical claims, among others.
The supplementary budget is also meant to cover the additional annual salary increment of RM100 for civil servants Grade 11 to 56, as announced by the Federal government earlier this year, and another RM300 in special aid to this group.
Funds are also required to bear the cost of cleaning contracts, after Putrajaya announced a new minimum salary of RM1,500.
“These are not things that you can foresee happening, but are within our responsibility to implement,” he said, adding that parts of the allocation will also be used for fees and payments for court cases involving the state government and agencies.
The 2023 Supplementary Budget Enactment Bill was later passed via a simple voice vote.
