The pay increase for Selangor lawmakers shows that its Pakatan Rakyat-led government is more interested in its own welfare than that of the people, Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein says..

NONE Hishammuddin said Pakatan Rakyat claims to fight for issues such as urban poverty and income disparity, both of which are issues of great concern to the people.

However, he said, the pay hike from Jan 1, 2014 onwards shows otherwise.

“The people can judge the cost of living in Selangor for themselves and they have to live through it.

“Their move not only neglects the people’s hardships, but prioritises their own position. Even if they backtrack now, it will not be sincere but due to political considerations,” he said.

Hishammuddin was speaking at a press conference this morning, at which he was asked to comment on the wage hike.

NONE Under the new pay scheme approved by the state legislative assembly yesterday, the Selangor menteri besar, exco members, assemblypersons, the speaker and her deputy will receiving a salary increase ranging from 87 to 373 percent.

The deputy speaker is slated to get the highest percentage increase from RM3,327 to RM15,750 per month, while Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has the highest pay of RM29,250 after a 106 percent hike on his pay.

Assemblypersons will receive RM11,250 per month, up from the current RM6,000 per month.

To a question, Hishammuddin refused to comment whether the hike was excessive, but said this was just an example of how the state government neglects the people.

“They accuse Umno and BN leaders this and that, but when given power, they do not deliver what they had promised and they do the same or worse than what they had accused us of doing,” he added.

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