When Pakatan Harapan was in opposition, one of its key electoral promises was to provide equal constituency development allocations to all MPs.
Yet, since returning to power and with its “Bapa Reformasi” Anwar Ibrahim becoming the 10th prime minister in 2022, the pledge remains unfulfilled.
The issue has become a perennial sore point for the opposition, which has raised it in almost every Dewan Rakyat sitting, and today, a PAS leader turned the tables on the ruling coalition, reminding Harapan that it could face the same treatment when the tide turns.
In a sarcastic Facebook post, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari mooted that the newly formed Umno-led Negeri Sembilan state administration should emulate Harapan's treatment of opposition representatives.
"Since the Negeri Sembilan government was not formed in the spirit of the Madani government like at the federal level, perhaps the state administration should consider not providing any allocations to opposition assemblypersons in the state.
"Instead, channel the funds directly to the people, like what the Madani government had been doing at the federal level. Would that be acceptable?
"I believe Harapan supporters would surely give their strong support for this suggestion," the Pasir Mas MP quipped.
Funding row
Fadhli's posting came amid a row between the Negeri Sembilan state government leadership and Harapan elected representatives over advanced constituency allocations, which the latter received a day before the state legislative assembly was dissolved on June 5.
Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim on Wednesday instructed the 17 former and current Harapan assemblypersons and two constituency coordinators to return the allocations for July to September.
Following this, a group of six Harapan representatives questioned the instruction, saying most of them have already channelled the funding to the rakyat through various platforms.
The group also insisted they did nothing wrong as the Negeri Sembilan state exco had lawfully approved the advance allocations on June 3.
On Aug 18, DAP urged Anwar to fulfil Harapan's pledge to grant equal constituency development funds to all MPs.
On Aug 7, Anwar reiterated that if an MP is in the opposition, the government would channel the funds directly to the people, rather than through the elected lawmakers.
‘Public funds don’t belong to Anwar’
The government also cancelled direct parliamentary funding to Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung and Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail, both from PKR, as well as then-Subang MP Wong Chen, who was a PKR member at the time. All three were seen as not aligned with the government.
Coordinators were then appointed to oversee the disbursement instead, which drew criticism. Wong has since left PKR and joined Bersama.
In June, government spokesperson and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the restrictions were not imposed arbitrarily and that residents of the affected constituencies could continue to apply for assistance directly through the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), which oversees allocation management.
Earlier this month, he denied allegations of double standards, saying the funds were special allocations under the prime minister’s discretion and intended for constituents, not individual MPs.
In response, five PKR MPs reminded Anwar that Malaysia and public funds do not belong to him, and accused the government of sidelining elected representatives while allowing unelected coordinators to manage constituency funds. - Mkini
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