This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 18, 2015.

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS will call up its three lawmakers, who broke ranks with the party and voted against Budget 2016 in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday night, but said the trio would not face any disciplinary action.

The Islamist party’s parliamentary whip Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan also denied that the trio’s action suggested a split in the party ranks over Budget 2016.

“Yes, we will call them up and have a chat over coffee about their action. It is not a serious matter and does not constitute disciplinary action against them,” the Kota Baru member of parliament (MP) told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

The three lawmakers — Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Kubang Kerian MP Ahmad Baihaki Atiqulah and Pasir Puteh MP Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad — joined the rest of the opposition to vote against the budget at the policy stage on Monday night.

The Islamist party had earlier decided that it would abstain from voting against the budget, its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said.

Takiyuddin, who is PAS secretary-general, said PAS should not be seen as weak because of differing actions in the Dewan Rakyat, adding that the matter would not be a huge blow to the party.

“PAS is not weak; we give freedom to our MPs to voice their views. It is a small issue.

“They did not follow party instructions, that is all. We will get an explanation from them,” he said, adding that the matter was considered small as only three of its lawmakers had broken ranks.

He said PAS’ decision to abstain was because it neither supported the budget nor opposed it. — The Malaysian Insider