That’s taxpayers’ money the government is using, says Asri

By Shannon Teoh

March 01, 2011

Asri

KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — An influential Muslim cleric has called for the media to refer to public funds as “taxpayers’ money” instead of “government money” to change the perception that the public is “begging” for handouts from politicians.

Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin wrote in his blog this week that the switch in terminology would help to ensure that governments are not praised for spending public money but for managing public assets well.

“It is as if the public are beggars. And when there is misappropriation or wastage, the public thinks that it is not the government or politicians that have lost money and forget that it is actually their money,” said the former Perlis mufti.

The maverick scholar, who has a large following among Muslims here, said that the term “taxpayers’ money” should be used as any funds spent by either Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR) governments or the palaces was derived from taxes.

“As such, when the government spends on a project or transfers assets to any party, it should be reported as ‘the government has used taxpayers’ money or public property for this or that project.’

“If there is wastage, it should be said that “the government has wasted taxpayers’ money or damaged public properties, resulting in losses to public funds,” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia professor of Islamic studies.

“This is important so politicians realise that any allocation to the public is not their pocket money or their private property for them to thump their chests proudly. This will avoid the public feeling that they are beggars and politicians forgetting that they are spending public money during their political campaigns,” he added.

Asri also said that the terms “taxpayers’ money, fund or dollar” was often used in the media of developed countries and it helped to avoid carelessness by the government.

The controversial scholar has been critical of politicians using Islam and religious authorities exercising their power to police the behaviour of Muslims.

The Selangor Islamic authority had also charged him last year for preaching without a permit in the state, where Mohd Asri is popular among urban Malays.

The former president of Islamic Da’wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim) Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad has also sued him for defamation, claiming RM1.5 million in damages. - Malaysian Insider