In an effort to cut down on government spending, the cabinet announced last year that it will cut their salaries by 20 percent.
However, the austerity measures by the Anwar Ibrahim administration appear to have also hit MPs as well, with a more severe cut on the cards.
Malaysiakini learned that MPs may have their constituency allocations for 2023 reduced by over 70 percent, from RM3.8 million to RM1.3 million.
It is understood that government MPs were informed by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) under the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD) in early January that their service centre funds will be maintained at RM300,000 as before.
However, the ICU also told backbenchers that outright grants (OG) would be slashed from RM1.5 million to RM 1 million.
These are funds meant to support programmes and activities of NGOs or associations within the constituency or to be given as grants or donations.
Meanwhile, MPs have received "no news" about the RM2 million in development funds, dubbed "Projek Mesra Rakyat" (PMR - People Friendly Projects).
The PMR is a fund that MPs can apply to for development purposes in their constituency such as constructing or repairing infrastructure and buildings.
A Pakatan Harapan backbencher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Malaysiakini many MPs were “crying” after receiving the notice from ICU as the allocation amount is significantly less than before despite the coalition being in power now.
“(This caused us) difficulty in fulfilling the request of every NGO, and we have to be very selective in activities we want to support,” the lawmaker lamented.
When Harapan was still in the opposition, a deal struck with the Ismail Sabri Yaakob government in September 2021 ensured the coalition's MPs received equal funding to government MPs.
Meanwhile, a PKR MP who also declined to be named expressed disappointment with the funding cuts.
When contacted, he revealed government MPs had previously suggested to Anwar to raise their constituency allocations, but this did not appear to bear fruit.
He added that there was also no explanation given to lawmakers as to why funding had been slashed.
He lamented that if PMR funds are not available this year, it would be a major blow to government MPs.
“The rakyat have expectations and demands from the new government, but now I am forced to tell the constituents and groups seeking help that I can't help much. This will be hard for people to accept.
“Of course, we are not advocating the practice of using constituency allocations for vote-buying, but these development funds can assist MPs in quickly resolving constituency problems and improving people's lives.
“Now, without development funds, I cannot help the mosque in my constituency to purchase a PA system or support schools to buy a microphone or air conditioner, as OG can only be used for programmes and NGOs,” he added.
Separately, an East Malaysian backbencher told Malaysiakini that ICU officers told him they had “no information” on PMR funds when asked during a briefing in January.
"We thought we could at least get the same amount of funding as the previous administration, but now we only have a million ringgit,” he lamented.
The MP, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the RM1 million for OG was split into two payments of RM500,000 for each half of the year.
East M’sians will be affected
The East Malaysian MP said just one month in 2023, the allocation he received for the first half of the year has almost been depleted.
"It is well known that East Malaysia's infrastructure is poor, and many schools and non-government organisations have reached out to me for funding, but now the funding I can allocate is already running out,” he added.
The RM3.8 million per year allocation for MPs dates back to Harapan's first tenure in government, with RM2 million set aside for PMR funds, RM1.5 million for OG, and RM300,000 for service centre expenses.
In early 2020, East Malaysian backbencher MPs were given an additional RM500,000 on top of the RM3.8 million.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs at the time could only apply for up to RM100,000 a year from the federal government - for either development funds or grants.
This practice continued until the 15th general election.
While other backbenchers were anxious about the state of funding, two-term Jelebu MP Jalaluddin Alias from Umno seemed calm and urged other backbenchers not to worry.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, he said he has not yet received the allocation notice from the ICU.
However, he believed that the amount of allocation MPs are currently aware of is not the final amount, as there has been no announcement from the PMD.
He was optimistic that an announcement may be made when Parliament reconvenes in two weeks’ time.
“We need to think positively and patiently wait for the prime minister's decision. He is definitely aware of the current economic situation and the needs of the government MPs, so there is no need to worry too much.
Jalaluddin admitted, however, that a constituency allocation of RM1.3 million is too little.
He opined that the federal government must allocate funds to the MPs according to the economic situation and the needs of the people by at least maintaining the previous rate, if not increasing it.
Malaysiakini has contacted the ICU for a response.
During the election campaign, Harapan pledged to introduce a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) that can be used by all MPs.
However, after forming a coalition government with BN and other partners, the administration has yet to reveal what sort of funding will be made available for the 148 MPs on the government bench.
On the other side of the political divide, Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan from Bersatu said Perikatan Nasional lawmakers have not received any information about constituency allocations.
However, he urged the government to provide equal allocations to all MPs to ensure that those in need can be assisted fairly.
“At the same time, when the PN announces its shadow cabinet later, I hope shadow cabinet members are also given the necessary facilities and access to accurate and up-to-date information to ensure that the shadow cabinet can effectively play a check and balance role,” he added. - Mkini
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