Sabah cabinet, assemblymen get pay hike

The Sabah state assembly sitting approves salary hikes for their cabinet members and assemblymen.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah state legislative assembly sitting today approved the amendment on the Administrative and Legislative Assembly Members (Remuneration) 1981 Enactment, which will see a pay increase of 50 per cent for the Chief Minister, state cabinet members and state assemblymen effective January 1, 2015.

When tabling the bill, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Edward Yong Oui Fah said the salary adjustment was reasonable and appropriate by taking into account the increasing cost of goods and services as well as the increasingly challenging workload and responsibilities.

The last adjustment for Sabah administrative and state assemblymen was made in 2009 and the review for the latest one was reasonable and fair, he told the state legislative assembly sitting here.

Through the amendment, Yong said the remuneration or salary of the Chief Minister had increased from RM15,750 to RM23,625; Deputy Chief Minister from RM13,150 to RM19,725 and Ministers from RM10,890 to RM16,335.

He said the salary of the Speaker was also increased from RM10,890 to RM16,335 while the Deputy Speaker and Assistant Ministers respectively received a salary increase from RM8,470 to RM12,705.

Yong said the salary of 60 state assemblymen was also increased from RM5,300 to RM7,950 while that of political secretaries was from RM3,630 to RM5,445.

Meanwhile Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said all quarters must not make any assumptions that the salary increase was due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but was instead made by the government in accordance to the current financial needs and position.

Musa, who is also state Finance Minister, said the call by several opposition elected representatives for an increase in the allowance of the state assemblymen’s guide and other special allowances, such as medical, would be taken into consideration at the state cabinet level.

“The government will practise a prudent budget in the administrative running of the state given that the salary hike is not that high and we will increase the pay based on the financial situation that permits from time to time,” he said.

- BERNAMA