KUALA LUMPUR: The tabling of today's Budget would not be in vain even if Parliament is dissolved soon, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said.
He explained that the 2023 Budget takes into account the future plans for the country instead of only focusing on the present.
"If we look at the budget, it is focusing on the future direction of our country.
"The economic report talks about where we are today and where we are going to be in terms of our GDP (gross domestic product).
"So there is no basis to that question," he said during a press conference at the Parliament building here today.
Zafrul was earlier asked if the preparation and tabling of today's budget would be futile should Parliament be dissolved before debates on the budget could be concluded.
"As mentioned, the GDP (gross domestic product) this year is between 6.5 and seven per cent. We also have our target deficit which is six per cent and next year, the target deficit is 5.5 per cent."
When pressed further, Zafrul said if Parliament is dissolved before the 2023 Budget is passed in the House, the country would probably see the same result as what happened in 1999.
At the time, Parliament was dissolved to pave way for snap polls, merely days into the budget's debate.
"That question should be posed to the prime minister.
"It has happened before in 1999 and if you refer to what happened then, the budget was presented first, then there was dissolution and (after the general election) the budget was presented again.
"So that's what will happen if there is a dissolution (soon)."