PARLIAMENT | Opposition lawmakers have complained of being unfairly treated by receiving an annual allocation totalling RM100,000, which is less than a tenth of the 2019 allocation received by Pakatan Harapan MPs.
The annual allocation for Harapan MPs has increased threefold to RM1.5 million this year.
This was revealed when Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) yesterday asked Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister Department Md Farid Md Rafik if the opposition MPs' allocation remained the same, while the allocation for government MPs had increased several times compared to last year.
"DAP once proposed that all MPs be given equal allocations and (the government) said they would consider it," said Shahidan.
Farid, who was winding up the debate on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat, acknowledged the disparity between the allocations for government and opposition MPs.
“This is a complementary allocation, in addition to the existing allocations given by ministries and departments… An experienced MP knows the channel to (apply for) additional allocations, on top of this special allocation by the prime minister totalling RM100,000,” he said.
He said the Harapan government has never rejected any allocation request from lawmakers, as long as the money was channelled to the people.
"We give discretion to the MPs to decide how the money will be channelled to the grassroots," he added.
'Unfair to taxpayers'
Standing up with a copy of the Harapan manifesto, opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that while he thanked the government for giving them an allocation, he disagreed with the amount given.
The low allocation amount was unfair to taxpayers in the constituencies won by the opposition, he said.
Chan Ming Kai (Harapan-Alor Setar) then asked sardonically whether opposition MPs would agree to give an allocation to lawmakers from the other side if BN were in power again.
Opposition MPs previously did not receive allocations under the BN administration.
There was no need for the opposition to make an issue out of the Harapan manifesto, Chan added.
Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) responded by saying the Harapan government should do better than the previous administration.
Farid confirmed that the constituency allocation for the opposition MPs remained the same at RM100,000, while the allocation for the government MPs increased from RM500,000 in 2018 to RM1.5 million this year.
On top of that, he said the government MPs would also receive a RM300,000 allocation for their service centres, which is double the amount received in 2018. - Mkini
Penyu oh Penyu. If you fight for equality and fairness even during Mr Klepet was your boss and as an opposition now you will stand to gain but it never cross your little brain that one day you will be sitting on the other side of the fence. I know It is bad for rakyat if the amount of allocation is small but since all the corrupt MP in Pasumno never admit their past wrongdoing so I think it is innevitable that they taste their own medicine for a while.
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