Emulate Perak MB, give equitable CDF to all reps

 

MP SPEAKS | A blessed Christmas to all Christians and other friends who share our joys in the cultural way.

Jesus Christ taught us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. These are simply the universal values of empathy and compassion.

As I begin to celebrate Christmas, I reflect on the practice of empathy and compassion in politics.

I have to admit that Pakatan Harapan Plus - myself included - had not been empathic enough of the opposition when we were in federal and state governments.

We started to offer the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to opposition MPs and state assemblypersons, which was not done under BN.

However, we refused to treat our opposition colleagues as equals and give them an equitable CDF amount. We held back some of the CDF to be managed by our party colleagues on various excuses.

We were wrong. Harapan Plus must have the courage to admit our mistakes. We should have loved our neighbours, even if they are in different parties like we love ourselves and colleagues in our parties.

Saarani Mohamad

For that, I must express my sincere admiration to the new menteri besar of Perak, Saarani Mohamad, for his groundbreaking announcement on Dec 15 of equal CDF to all 59 assemblypersons regardless of party affiliation.

Saarani has given Malaysians an invaluable and exemplary practice of multi-partisanship as a parting gift for the stormy year of 2020.

I want to also register my highest respect for my Harapan colleagues' wisdom in Perak led by the state's inaugural legislative opposition leader Abdul Aziz Bari for making this possible via the first Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) in Malaysia.

Umno and Harapan in Perak have shown Malaysians how politics can be professional and gentlemanly, that we politicians can rigorously compete and sincerely collaborate like athletes with great sportsmanship.

I call upon Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and all menteri besar/chief ministers of other states to emulate the model set in Perak by Saarani.

The federal government must give all 222 MPs RM3.5 million of the same amount in CDF. The other 12 state governments must do the same for all their respective assemblypersons based on their capacities to provide. For instance, RM3.5 million each for Sabah and RM200,000 for the states in the Peninsular.

I personally call upon my chief minister, Hajiji Mohd Noor, to give equitable CDF to state representatives and MPs in Sabah. In Sabah, MPs are given CDFs by the state government, but the allocation for opposition MPs are customarily channelled to the division head of the leading government party.

This practice is wrong, and I urge Hajiji to correct this. Bersatu division chiefs do not need CDF, but opposition MPs need it to help their constituency. I look forward to the soonest opportunity to discuss this matter with the chief minister.

I also call upon my visionary friends, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad and Perlis Menteri Besar Azlan Man to step up their actions to expedite the arrival of equitable CDFs as a new normal.

On this blessed day, I pray that Malaysia will be blessed with empathy, compassion and sportsmanship in politics in 2021.

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WILFRED MADIUS TANGAU is MP for Tauran. - Mkini

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.