KOTA KINABALU – Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis is questioning the logic behind the slashing of development allowances for MPs saying the government should not sacrifice funds for the people.
“I totally disagree with sacrificing allocations meant for the welfare of the people. This is not a good start for the unity government,” she said in a statement today.
The Warisan rep was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s move yesterday to reduce MPs’ development allowance from RM3.8 million to RM1.3 million.
Anwar said this move was meant to better control the country’s finances and would be implemented in stages.
Isnaraissah urged the prime minister to reconsider his decision and proposed for all MPs and relevant agencies to have a meeting to improve administration, governance, and integrity so as not to resort to slashing MP allowances.
She said while she fully supports the government’s effort to manage the nation’s finances through prudent spending, reducing allocations meant for the people is not the way to go.
“Taking into account the size of Parliament (constituencies) in Sabah and Sarawak that are larger, the poverty level and the development level that is left far behind Tanah Melayu, reducing development funds is not a good start for the unity government, (the very government) that is determined to narrow development and economic gaps between regions in Malaysia, as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” she said.
Isnaraissah stressed that the government maintains the development allowance, or increases it, and not reduces it, adding that the allocation is for the welfare of the people and never for MPs’ personal use.
She said the government must realise the reality; people prefer going to their MPs for financial assistance as it is faster, closer, and involves less bureaucracy that complicates the process. – The Vibes, February 4, 2023
