Malaysia's parliament passes 2021 budget at final stage

Malaysia's parliament passed the government's 2021 budget at its final reading on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin managed to stave off a potential challenge from the opposition.

Lawmakers voted 111-108 in favour of the budget, which includes a record 322.5 billion ringgit ($79.61 billion) in spending next year, up 2.5% from this year as the government seeks to spur activity in an economy badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.