Minister gets to keep full salary

Bandar Kuching parliamentarian Chong Chieng Jen (left) has failed in his bid to slash RM10 from the salary of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop over ‘unsatisfactory' replies in the Dewan Rakyat.

Chong had initially asked for an explanation as to how allocations are disbursed to parliamentary constituencies, since he had noticed discrepancies in the use of funds for Bandar Kuching.

"The minister (Nor Mohamed) said the allocations are given to all parliamentary constituencies without prejudice, whether under the opposition or the ruling coalition... although the mechanism in which the funds are dispersed may be different," said Chong, reading aloud from the written reply.

"I then asked for a breakdown of the NGOs which are profiting from the allocation and a list was given."

The DAP MP said he received another written reply listing NGOs that had received money. Among these were mosque committees in Lawas (RM15,000), Santubong (RM20,000), Semok (RM30,000) and Lintah (RM15,000), all areas outside the Bandar Kuching parliamentary boundaries.

"Of the RM610,000 set aside for Bandar Kuching... about RM100,000 were given to NGOs, some of which are not within my constituency."

He then tabled the motion demanding that Nor Yakcop's salary be cut by RM10.

Chong also said a voter in Bandar Kuching had lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the disbursement of the allocation and had been promised feedback within a month.

"The MACC called me last week to take my statement but I was busy with the state assembly session and I couldn't go... and now MACC says that I am not cooperative enough.

"The deadline for the feedback (has expired). I want an explanation for this and I hope that BN (government) will walk the talk."

Supporting his motion Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) said the federal government and the prime minister should work according to the '1Malaysia' concept by giving the money directly to MPs rather than via district offices in opposition-held areas.

"Who else can understand the grouses of the rakyat, if not their representatives?" she said.

Other Pakatan Rakyat MPS similarly rose to support the motion, calling on the federal government to be inclusive in dealing with MPs, whatever their political persuasion.

Minister explains himself

Opposing the move, Mohamad Aziz (BN-Seri Gading) argued that the motion was malicious and that the complaint had been made for "political gain".

"The funds go to the district office. The officer may not understand (where) the parliamentary boundaries (lie) or he may not even know about this because new constituencies were announced before the last general election," said Mohamad.

Hamim Samuri (BN-Ledang) caused an uproar in the House when he said that only BN parliamentarians are trustworthy, which is why the allocations go directly to them.

This did not go down well with Fong, who demanded that he retract his statement, but Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia (left) did not instruct him to do so.

Nor Mohamed, in his defence, said the opposition had made "a big deal" of a small matter, and one that is intended to help the poor.

"Today is a sad day. It is not because Bandar Kuching wants my salary to be cut by RM10 but because of the hypocrisy they (the opposition MPs) are putting up," he said.

"The government has given such a small amount of money to the mosque committees, (but) they are making a big deal of the money given to poor people to built a surau ."

He explained that the money is from a special fund for constituencies that is distributed on the premier's prerogative and channelled to states via the respective district office.

As such, there has been no abuse of power by the premier or his department, he claimed.

A voice-vote was then taken, in which the BN representatives out-shouted their rivals to see the motion dismissed.