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Does a caretaker PM have authority to dole out cash?
Published:  Mar 12, 2013 9:02 AM
Updated: 11:50 PM

YOURSAY 'I would like to know whether Najib has the authority to make decisions such as this as he is only a caretaker PM after March 9.'

Najib ups police, army salaries ahead of GE13

your say Tbala: The first sitting of the 12th Malaysian Parliament was on April 28, 2008, after the historic GE12 on March 8. As such, under Article 55 (3) of the federal constitution, Parliament shall stand dissolved on April 29, 2013.

With less than two months for Parliament to be dissolved automatically, it does not seem right for the prime minister (PM) to announce this salary adjustment effective Jan 1, more so without parliamentary approval.

The opposition MPs have to question the authority of the PM to announce the salary adjustment for the police and military personnel. It can only be a proposal that can only be implemented after GE13 and that too, with Parliament's approval.

The question arises whether the PM is authorised to announce current expenditure that has not been approved by Parliament as the Annual Financial Statement (Budget) as stipulated in Article 99 of the federal constitution.

That the salary scale adjustment announced by the PM has been backdated, making it current expenditure. The PM has to bring the said proposal for salary adjustment as a supplementary and excess expenditure and lay it before Parliament (Article 101 of the federal constitution) for its approval. This has not been done.

KiaSi-SiamSai: I would like to know whether Najib Abdul Razak has the authority to make decisions such as this, since he is only a caretaker PM after March 9. Anything that deals with money, he should not have any authority.

Slumdog: If this is not vote buying, I don't know what is. At the eleventh hour, on the eve of GE13, Najib pulls this trick out of the hat to buy votes.

Under normal circumstances, the employees' union would make a formal submission through the proper government agency for a salary increase.

They would base their claim on cost of living increases, inflation, relativity, parity, etc. But here we have the government, without consultation or negotiations, raising the salaries of police and army personnel without any request for the increase.

Was the increase in pay provided for in the budget or is this a case of election bribery?

Anonymous #99108469: Does Najib still have the right to dip his hands into the country's coffers and continue to do as he likes? He is supposed to be an illegitimate PM by now, and this nation should be under a caretaker government.

Gotcha: The police and army deserve the adjustment of salaries. But why didn't the PM do that earlier. Now that the elections are around the corner, he does it to get a few extra votes. This is real money politics and corruption.

Righteous: All these years, it was BN that caused the police and army not to get wages on par with the rest of the civil service. And now as their term expires, they try to act as the heroes.

Who should the servicemen thank? Pakatan Rakyat of course. If BN wasn't so pressured, you would all be left begging.

MockingYou: I wrote about this pay issue back when Najib was defence minister. Like hell he listened or even read the writings on the wall back then. Let me tell you - no sirree, instead he went all out to buy the unsinkable Scorpene submarines.

Is this raise even legitimate, now that we're into five full years after the last election?

MW: Indeed, why has there been no hike in their salaries despite years of being underpaid, until after Najib's term is already over?

Cannon: Yes, our national servicemen deserve a decent package, like our teachers, nurses, firemen and our other public servants. Why can't this salary revision be left to the new incoming government to address?

The mandate of Najib's government has expired, so why is he in such a hurry to move the earth under our feet? Even MCA chief Dr Chua Soi Lek is falling over himself to push for the BR1M amount to be further raised.

Najib had five full years to carry out his "transformation" programme. He ought to be looking back to survey his accomplishments with pride.

So, why is he sweating bricks and labouring frantically at this late hour? Does Umno-BN care so much for the people, or are they after their votes? It shows, doesn't it?

Anonymous #19098644 : This man has a crooked tongue when he says it is not an election goody. Call a spade a spade. The retired armed forces staff have already spoken out what they think of how Najib and the BN have used them to enrich themselves.

JT1E80 : Nothing that is given out by the BN is ever a bribe. To criminals, a bribe is not wrong.

Ericlcc: Please, not another round of salary increase for civil servants. Haven't they just got a massive salary revision a few years ago?

The country's finances can ill afford another increase as this means the private sector employees will suffer more as their salaries have been stagnant and they may also have to pay more tax eventually to cover for the increased budget deficit.

Already many civil servants are working, in effect, just four-and-half-day weeks as Friday after lunch is a non-functioning work day.

Mahashitla: Pakatan Rakyat's policies to enrich and empower the rakyat, especially the working class and the marginalised, are now being emulated. Najib and BN-Umno have no other alternative but to give the army, police, civil service and the rakyat what they rightly deserve.

Before 2008, all these monies would have gone into the pockets of the Umnoputras and their cronies. Now Najib and BN-Umno are real scared and are giving out more.

NewMalaysia: Oh, a salary increment to the civil service will not bankrupt the nation, but Pakatan's abolition of PTPTN (Higher Education Fund) will?


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