Senator warns early Parliament dissolution could derail Budget 2027 and force temporary spending, citing 2022 precedent

Senator Ahmad Ibrahim has cautioned against early dissolution of Parliament, warning that it could derail the Budget 2027 process and force the temporary spending of funds. He stated that such a move before the Budget is passed could disrupt financial planning, delay funding for development projects and public commitments. Though the Prime Minister has the authority to dissolve Parliament under the Federal Constitution, Ahmad emphasized that the timing of such a decision should be carefully considered.

The Budget 2027, involving hundreds of billions in government expenditure, is still undergoing parliamentary scrutiny with the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara both scheduled to complete their deliberations in late November. Ahmad stressed the importance of completing the legislative process before dissolving Parliament, as a premature dissolution could result in the Supply Bill lapsing, requiring a new government and Parliament to reintroduce and approve the Budget.

He cited the 2022 precedent where Parliament was dissolved just three days after Budget 2023 was tabled, leading to temporary operating expenditure approval amounting to RM107.7 billion in December 2022 to ensure government operations continued pending the full Budget's approval.