Fixed salary suggestion draws cautious reaction
MIRI: The fixed salary of RM1,500 for councillors suggested by Assistant Minister for Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil has its pros and cons, according to Councillor Ariffin Mohamad.
He pointed out that the duty of a councillor is no walk in the park.
“It is our honour to serve the people, but to expect a monetary return is not worth it because it comes with a responsibility and sometimes, even slander.
“However, at the same time, I do agree with Datu Dr Penguang that the councillors’ responsibilities and duties are almost the same with working full time at the council and the suggested salary is not much if you want to compare with the tasks and responsibilities carried out by councillors.
He said all this while, the councillors were paid RM100 for every official meeting organised by the council, but the overall total is capped at RM700 per month.
“Even though the councillor has attended more meetings, the maximum claim is still RM700 per month and some of the meetings can last for hours.
“As for any official events, we are paid RM50 per event and the maximum claim is seven events. So all in all, if we go to seven meetings and attend seven events, the most we can claim is RM1,050,” he explained.
For Ariffi n, the responsibility as a councillor is something that he is honoured to fulfi l.
“Even if there is no suggestion for increasing the salary, I believe the councillors will try our best to serve the Miri community.
“I personally welcome the suggestion by Datu Dr Penguang and we cannot compare the amount with the service that is given but it is better than what we normally get,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to hotel employee Patricia Luart, the salary increase should commensurate with what the councillor has done.
“I think we need to see if all the 24 councils have improved in their services to the community all these years.
“Councillors have an oath to serve first and remuneration should be in tandem with the progress of all councils,” she said.
It is our honour to serve the people, but to expect a monetary return is not worth it because it comes with a responsibility and sometimes, even slander. Councillor Ariffin Mohamad