KOTA KINABALU – Warisan Youth chief Datuk Azis Jamman has taken up an issue with the potential higher earnings of the Sabah chief minister after the state assembly passed a bill on pay raises for all ministers, assistant ministers, state lawmakers and political secretaries.
He noted that Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s monthly income may hit RM100,000 a month, given the fact that the Sulaman assemblyman holds various key state positions and chairs several Sabah-linked firms.
Hajiji is also the chairman of Yayasan Sabah and Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation.
“If we take into account the salary as chief minister, minister and assemblyman, and other allowances as chief minister, finance minister and assemblyman, and add to those all facility bills like water, electricity, car, driver and petrol, which are provided to him for free, the whole remuneration enjoyed by the chief minister could reach RM100,000,” he said in a statement here today.
“So where is the need for the chief minister and all the other ministers, including speakers, to have their salary increased? Do they also not have their allocations from the ministry and annual allocation as assemblymen from the government?
“Can somebody explain to me the basis of the pay hike for the chief minister, ministers and others being done now when they should be focusing on helping the people?” he added.
The Sabah assembly yesterday passed the bill to increase the wages of the state ministers, assistant ministers, and assemblymen.
The proposed chief minister’s salary was RM33,033 while ministers will earn RM22,869.
The salary of the deputy chief ministers is also increased to RM29,869, while assistant ministers will earn RM17,787, and state assemblymen will earn RM11,130.
The state speaker will earn RM22,869, deputy speakers RM17,787 and political secretaries RM7,623.
To this, Azis also questioned the rationale behind the RM5,000 pay hike for the speaker, who does not even have a constituency and the need to look after the welfare of any constituents.
“It is the state assemblymen who are taking the responsibilities of visiting the people and serving the thousands of people they are representing. Yet, they only had a RM3,000 raise lower than the salary of the speaker, who is only tasked with chairing the assembly sitting, which only convenes a few times a year.
“The speaker also sits in an air-conditioned room, given vehicles and drivers for free,” he said.
Similar to the chief minister, Azis also said the ministers and the speaker also enjoy the same perks, free electricity, water, designated vehicles, drivers as well as cost of maintenance of the vehicle and fuel money, which all are paid for by the government.
He said this goes against the policy of putting the people’s welfare and needs first, further quipping that this should be called putting the welfare and needs of the leaders first.
Azis made it clear that Warisan opposed the raise, as it was implemented at a time when the people are burdened by higher cost of living and thousands are still unemployed.
During the debate, one of the arguments defending the raise was the need to top up the salary of drivers who are earning below the minimum wage, as well as taking care of their family and providing them a home.
Some reps also argued that they were constantly getting messages from individuals asking for money to resolve their personal problems, such as visiting sick relatives in hospitals.
Sabah speaker Datuk Kadzim Yahya also defended the raise, saying he, too, has been getting messages from individuals asking for help.
Despite being told that all the reps have assemblymen allocation to help the needy, many of the elected reps continue to justify the pay raise, although they were also told that donations are not a matter that is worth publicising as they are given on a personal basis.
This was pointed out by state opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal during the bill’s debate yesterday. – The Vibes, July 20, 2022
