Langkawi MP stands by 'salaries of MPs not paid by people' remark

Despite brickbats over his controversy-courting remarks in a Facebook posting, Langkawi MP Nawawi Ahmad stands by his statement that technically speaking, it is the government and not the rakyat that pays the salaries of MPs.

"I will not retract, instead I will fight," he posted in a reply to a comment asking for a retraction.

Nawawi added that he is not going to retract what he considered to be a valid point he made about the matter of accounting with another user on Facebook, what more since it is a private argument between him and another.

"What need is there to retract, because the comment is not for public consumption, I only commented when debating with a friend on Facebook.

It is those that copied and pasted our private argument for distribution to the public without permission that have bad intentions. They are the ones who should retract their initial statement from the media," he said in a separate comment.

But whether his comments were for public consumption aside, the Langkawi MP argued on his publicly accessible Facebook page, that saying the government paid for his salary is technically correct, accounting wise, as the monies come from the government's account.

"The truth is that no one can deny that part of government revenue is from taxpayers. But the tax is not 'free', but paid for in exchange for expected services from the government such as security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and others.

"Thus taxes can be deemed to be payment to the government for services. But when taxes are paid by the rakyat and is deposited into government consolidated accounts, it is no longer the rakyat's money but are government funds.

"And the salaries of government officers including that of elected representatives are paid from the government account and not from the rakyat's account," he reiterated.

Nawawi argued in his response to brickbats from Facebook users that however it sounded like, the fact remains that the rakyat cannot use money in the government accounts like it is their own.

Only the government, he said, had the right to use the money as per procedures and regulations. The MP touted that his reasoning had muted any claims that the government's money is the people's money.

'Nawawi should be whipped'

However the parliamentarian said no to sarcastic suggestions from angered commenters to change the term 'wakil rakyat' (the people's representative) to 'wakil kerajaan' or the government's representative.

"The government pays the salaries of government officers but they are public servants. It is the same with wakil rakyat. So there is no need to change."

To snipes that his remark made it seem like he is condoning government leakages and may be a tad unwise, Nawawi contended that no human can judge as only God knows all.

"No one can be a referee and determine if it is wise or not. Because the fact of the matter is, all humans are not intelligent, as per the word of God," he concluded.

Nawawi was pelted with brickbats online yesterday after his comment arguing that his salary was paid for from the government's accounts and not by the rakyat became viral on social media.

Among those who hit out at the Langkawi MP included Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua who thinks that Nawawi should be whipped.

"He has uttered contempt for Malaysians who pay their hard-earned income to the government.

"No wonder he thinks the government's funds are his grandfather's money," read Pua's comment which echoed some of the other spicier comments left by netizens on the Langkawi MP's page. -Mkini