Wee questions allocation for MPs

Ayer Hitam parliamentarian asks why federal Opposition reps get a lesser amount

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan’s promise to be fair to all Members of Parliament is being questioned following the lesser amount in allocations given to the elected representatives from the opposition coalition.

The allocations to the opposition MPs will not be even half of what their Pakatan counterparts will be receiving, said Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

“I wish to ask the Pakatan leaders, especially those from DAP, whether the people in Ayer Hitam, Cameron Highlands, Kota Baru, Mersing and other places pay their taxes?

“Or did they only pay half of it?’’ he wrote on his Facebook.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday said the allocation for MPs will be disbursed before the Hari Raya celebrations.

MPs will be given a RM500,000 allocation, and RM200,000 for MP service centres, he said, adding opposition MPs, however, would be given a lower allocation.

“If the Pakatan Harapan MPs get RM200,000, the Opposition will get RM100,000,” Dr Mahathir replied when asked about the amount.

However, Dr Wee, the MCA deputy president, said the Government’s move in setting aside allocations to opposition leaders and their constituencies should be credited.

He also admitted that it was the Barisan Nasional government’s mistake in not doing so previously.

“It was wrong for Barisan to deny allocation to the opposition leaders, that cost it the people’s support and its eventual downfall.

“Dr Mahathir’s announcement on allocations for the opposition constituencies is a new precedent, which is better than the previous government,” he said.

It was reported that pro-reform civil group Engage had also questioned why the Federal Government is not giving all Dewan Rakyat members an equal allocation.

Its chairman Thomas Fann cited Promise 16 in Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto, that “we (PH) will provide funding based on a transparent formula to all members of the Dewan Rakyat, so that they can carry out their responsibilities in their respective constituencies, and run their service centres”.

“While it is not stated that equal funding will be provided, it didn’t say otherwise either, thus giving the impression that it would be.

“Further, as the heading for Promise 16 is ‘Restore the Dignity of Parliament’, we ask the question, would it be possible to have dignity without equality?” Fann had asked.