Malaysia’s Anwar survives budget test after securing support from former rival Bersatu

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cleared the first hurdle for the country’s Budget 2027 on Oct 29 despite internal rifts within his unity government, after receiving unexpected backing from former ally-turned-rival Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.Johari Abdul, the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat or the Lower House declared the budget passed by a voice vote.“The ayes have it,” he said, after Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan wrapped up the debates.No Opposition MPs rose to call for a division at the end of the debate. This was unlike in October 2025, when a bloc vote recorded 120 ayes, 67 nays, and 35 absent votes.Hours before the Parliament vote, the government signed a confidence and supply agreement with 12 MPs from Bersatu and Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA).It now has the support of 147 MPs out of 222 total – nearly the number needed to command a two-thirds supermajority.Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, representing the federal government, signed a confidence and supply agreement with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, 11 Bersatu MPs, and MUDA MP and party founder Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.Also present were Barisan Nasional’s (BN) de facto law minister Azalina Othman Said and senior political adviser to the prime minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz.In exchange for backing the budget, those lawmakers secured annual constituency funding between RM3 million and RM4 million (S$940,000 to S$1.2 million) each, matching the allocations for government backbenchers.“Bersatu MPs will support the budget under debate and back key reforms, including capping the prime minister to two terms and separating the roles of the attorney general and public prosecutor.“The government has agreed to provide constituency funding directly through us,” Muhyiddin told reporters after the signing on Oct 29, stressing that Bersatu will remain a vigilant check-and-balance element for the administration.MUDA will similarly back the administration on those matters.Shifting alliances reshape political divideAfter breaking away from Pakatan Harapan in 2020, Bersatu had allied itself with Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) to form Perikatan Nasional (PN), propelling Muhyiddin to the premiership with Barisan Nasional’s backing until the latter pulled its support in 2021.Bersatu is currently at odds with PAS, a rift that has led to the deregistration of PN by the Registrar of Societies. Its dissolution, has however been delayed by a stay order from the High Court on Oct 22.The Parliament vote on Oct 29 followed BN victories over Anwar’s PH in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, and ahead of another clash in the Melaka polls on Nov 14.BN chief and Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi had on several occasions in September urged Anwar to call a snap election well before the end of the parliamentary term. Malaysia’s 16th general election (GE16) must be held by February 2028.Even if all 30 BN lawmakers had joined forces with the 57 PAS and other allied MPs, Anwar would still have retained a 119-seat majority in the 222-member Parliament, anchored by East Malaysia’s ruling coalitions, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).With a combined 30 MPs, both East Malaysian coalitions remain a critical component of Anwar’s majority.To shore up their support, Anwar had earmarked record sums in Budget 2027 – allocating RM18.7 billion to Sabah and RM16.2 billion to Sarawak.The result in Parliament granted Anwar a temporary reprieve and buys him critical political breathing room ahead of GE16.Under Westminster parliamentary convention, passing a Supply Bill is considered a vote of confidence in the government. A failure to pass it compels the prime minister to either resign or advise the King to dissolve Parliament and call an election.Sign up for our weekly Asian Insider Malaysia Edition newsletter to make sense of the big stories in Malaysia.Lu Wei Hoong is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in transport and politics.