KUALA LUMPUR: The passing of the Government Procurement Bill 2025 through a bloc vote today once again demonstrated that the government commands a majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the opposition should accept that they remain short of numbers, adding that their decision to stage a walkout after the vote was announced by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul was nothing more than an attempt to spin their defeat.
“We saw how, after losing the vote, the opposition tried to spin their defeat as if there were other issues that caused them to walk out.
“To me, this is a very cynical tactic. They should accept that they lost, and once again it proves that the government has the majority while they remain without the numbers,” he told reporters at the Parliament building.
Earlier, Johari announced that the bill was passed with 125 MPs voting in favour, 63 against, one abstention and 32 absent.
Fahmi also expressed disappointment with opposition arguments during the debate, which he described as rhetorical, emotional and lacking in facts.
When tabling the bill for its second reading yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described it as another major reform under the MADANI government, one which previous administrations had either not dared or been unwilling to pursue.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the legislation enhances checks and balances by allowing procurement decisions, including those made by the Finance Minister, to be challenged and reviewed through the Review Panel and subsequently the independent Procurement Appeals Tribunal.
He added that the bill also introduces punitive measures for non-compliance in procurement processes, with no exemptions granted even to the Finance Minister.
The current Dewan Rakyat sitting, which began on July 21, concludes today after 24 days. – Bernama