KUALA LUMPUR – Calls for the unity government to allocate equal constituency funding to all MPs are coming from within Pakatan Harapan (PH), with a PKR lawmaker today urging Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to not “victimise” voters.
Addressing the Dewan Rakyat today, Hassan Abdul Karim (Pasir Gudang-PH) suggested that necessary legal amendments be made to ensure equal funding.
“For example, several localities in Johor are currently experiencing floods. Out of the 16 parliamentary constituencies in the state, two are held by opposition MPs – Mersing (Muhammad Islahuddin Abas) and Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin).
“Imagine if Mersing is affected by floods and the MP there does not receive any allocation, but other (government) MPs have collected theirs.
“How is he supposed to help his constituents? Not all MPs are rich. We must be fair,” Hassan said when debating Budget 2023.
Hassan added that “citizens should not fall victim” to the decision not to disburse development funds to all MPs equally, stressing that the unity government led by Anwar must be willing to enact change to ensure the betterment of its people.
“I would at least like it recorded in this august hall that (I have pushed for us) to do something that is right.
“What is the problem if laws are amended to allow all MPs, regardless of their political leanings, to be given equal rights?” Hassan said.
Besides Hassan, another PH lawmaker who has supported equal funding for all MPs is Khoo Poay Tiong (Kota Melaka-DAP), who last week told the Dewan Rakyat his own experience with being denied funds when he was an opposition representative in the Melaka assembly.
His speech received much applause from MPs across the aisle, with Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (Pengkalan Chepa-PN) openly stating his respect for the former’s decision to speak up on an issue that the opposition bloc has long harped on.
Following Anwar’s tabling of the Supply Bill 2023 in Parliament last Friday, Perikatan Nasional (PN) lawmakers cried foul over the government’s continued refusal to grant them equal allocations as was accorded to PH peers during the latter’s time as opposition.
Leading the criticism was the current head of the opposition, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut-PN), who questioned the fairness of Budget 2023 when PN MPs were deliberately denied equal funding.
Previously, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru-PAS) had also urged Anwar to abide by PH’s manifesto, which pledged to provide equal constituency development funds to all MPs across the political divide.
Anwar in early February confirmed that the development allowance for MPs aligned with the government had been reduced to RM1.3 million from RM3.8 million.
The cut, Anwar said, was meant to better control the government’s finances, and will be implemented in stages.
Equal constituency funding to all MPs had been part of PH’s election manifesto, and electoral watchdog group Bersih had recently urged Anwar to keep the promise and implement it. – The Vibes, March 2, 2023
