No funding: PKR MP rues Harapan failed to do the right thing

PKR's Subang MP Wong Chen today suggested that Pakatan Harapan was partly responsible for the current Perikatan Nasional government's decision to starve opposition MPs of funding.

Wong Chen said Harapan had the chance to right the situation but instead decided to perpetuate the practice by BN.

"How did we get into this mess? When we won in 2018, the Harapan leadership decided to 'punish' the then opposition by limiting their operational budget and denying them community funds.

"While Harapan MPs got RM300,000 to run our office, the opposition got only RM100,000. Then Harapan MPs received RM3.5 million to spend on our community, the opposition got a big fat zero.

"Why did we do this? Who knows? Maybe some in the leadership wanted 'revenge' because that was what happened to us prior to 2018. Maybe some in the leadership wanted to 'starve' the opposition to entice them to frog jump to us.

"Whatever the reasons, we missed the opportunity to do the right thing, which is to provide equal resources to all elected MPs. We could have made politics less of a zero-sum game.

"Now that the tables have turned, we can expect the same if not worse, treatment from the new government," he said in a Facebook post.

Out of pocket

Wong Cheng said his office will now resume its original core role as an MP, namely, to pass laws, consider government policies via select committees and monitor the federal budget.

He said there were no longer funds for community activities.

In the interim of adjusting his office budget, Wong Chen said he has had to dip into his own pocket for the operational and administrative cost, which can amount up to RM25,000 a month.

"I am not sure what other Harapan MPs will do regarding finances. My pockets are not so deep to sustain community programmes," he said.

However, he said those within his constituency can turn to state representatives as Harapan is still in control of Selangor.

Several MPs who have ended up in the opposition after PN came to power had complained that their funding has been pulled.

The Harapan government collapsed after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin took his party out of the coalition to form PN with PKR defectors, BN, PAS, GPS and other minor parties.

Harapan-led Selangor too is also depriving its opposition of funding. 

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari had defended the move, claiming that it is a long-established convention.

- Mkini