Time to give all reps equal funds after election losses, PH told

 Projek Sama says such legislation will protect all elected representatives regardless of which party forms the government after GE16.

Projek Sama urged the PH-led government to table an equal funding law for MPs when Parliament reconvenes in October. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

A civil society group has urged Pakatan Harapan, which leads the federal government, to enact laws guaranteeing equal constituency development funds for all elected representatives.

Projek Sama said Pakatan Harapan’s losses in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections should convince the coalition, in particular, that equal funding laws will be in its long-term interest.

“If no such law is enacted and PH were to end up in the opposition after the next election, its MPs and assemblymen would be severely handicapped in serving their constituencies under an Umno-PAS dominated government,” it said in a statement.

The NGO urged the government to table an equal funding law for MPs when Parliament reconvenes in October, and for all state governments to do the same in their respective legislative assemblies.

It also lauded the Perak and Kelantan state governments for already providing equal funds to all assemblymen, though this has yet to be institutionalised.

“We urge both states to take their democratic leadership a step further by codifying equitable funding into state law, setting an undeniable precedent for the rest of Malaysia to follow.”

It also urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to immediately restore constituency funding access for Subang MP Wong Chen and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung.

The duo were among PKR MPs who attended the launch of former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s new party, Bersama.

Wong and Lee were barred from accessing the MyKhas portal, which manages special funding for constituencies, in May.

Projek Sama rejected Anwar’s argument that constituency funds could go “directly to the rakyat” without involving the MPs.

“If this is true, why did PH explicitly demand equal funding for MPs in its 2021 memorandum of understanding with the Ismail Sabri Yaakob government?” it asked. - FMT