She described the bill as a “job description” for the finance minister, detailing the reports to be prepared and committees to be established.

“If we look at the bill, it lists out the responsibilities of the finance minister. The minister must do this, and that.

“But if the minister does not comply or carry out (the responsibilities), there is no provision in the bill on the punishment or action to be taken (against the minister),” she told the Dewan Rakyat when debating the bill.

She said the bill reminded her of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008, which stated that the government must provide disabled-friendly public infrastructure.

“However, just like in this bill, if the government does not do it (provide disabled-friendly infrastructure), there are no consequences,” she said, adding that this was why, until today, public infrastructure remained unfriendly to people with disabilities.

She urged the ministry to explain what steps would be taken to ensure that the bill was not just “cosmetic” in nature.

At a press conference on the bill yesterday, deputy finance minister Ahmad Maslan said the bill set out four fiscal targets for the government to achieve. It, however, does not provide for any punishment or fine.

The bill also gives the government the flexibility to suspend the fiscal targets for a “temporary deviation period” in unforeseen circumstances such as health and economic crises.

In such situations, the bill provides that the government need only table a fiscal adjustment plan in Parliament.

Yeo urged the ministry to explain whether there was a set duration for such deviation periods and why Parliament’s approval of the fiscal adjustment plan was not a requirement.

She also asked why no limit on government liability had been included in the bill.