Amanah Youth proposes 30pct salary cut for cabinet members to help people

 

Amanah Youth chief Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin has proposed a 30 percent wage cut for cabinet ministers and deputy ministers and that this be channelled to help people impacted by the economic fallout due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement today, he said the move was important to convince the public of the government's willingness to help the people instead of being rhetoric in its pledge to take care of the welfare of all Malaysians.

”The announcement of government policy in dealing with Covid-19 was done at very last-minute, and this has eroded the people's confidence in their future," he said.

"According to economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram, research advisor for the Khazanah Research Institute, as a result, the people are declining to spend despite receiving financial aid. This is contrary to what is needed to revive the country's economy," he said.

Jomo had reportedly questioned if the movement control order (MCO)  was the best solution in containing the pandemic and protecting the welfare of the people saying that other countries had successfully fought the coronavirus without resorting to a similar method.

The economist pointed out that last-minute policy announcements involving MCOs had caused the people to become uncertain about the immediate future which would lead to a reluctance in spending money.

Shazni also pointed to the welfare of the business community.

"The wellbeing of the employees and traders were often overlooked. Sometimes, their fate is like those migrant workers in their homeland," he said, adding the conditional MCO imposed in most of the states had affected their businesses," he said.

"This affected group needs help. If the money that has been and will be spent is still inadequate, the government should be coming up with other initiatives. For example, go for a 30 percent monthly wage cut for the ministers and their deputies," he said,  adding the partial wages of the prime minister could be channelled to the Covid-19 assistance fund.

He also proposed the same amount of a wage cut to be applied to Kelantan lawmakers who recently granted themselves approval for an increment in their monthly salaries.

"The 30 percent wage cut proposal is significant to prove the willingness (of the government) in helping the people, and it is not merely rhetoric,"  said Shazni.

Citing Kelantan deputy menteri besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah who likened the state lawmakers to welfare officers who help the needy in their constituencies, Shazni said it was only wise that the federal government respond to such a message and prioritise the people.  - Mkini