The government's "stillborn" proposal to raise allowances of MPs saw keen debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, when tabling Budget 2012 last week, had proposed that the allowances be raised if MPs on both sides of the divide agreed but the opposition bench was not in favour of it.

Baharom Mohamed (BN-Sekijang) slammed the opposition MPs for being 'hypocrites' on the matter but he was interrupted by Zulkifli Noordin (Independent-Kulim Bandar Baharu) who said he should not blame them but instead Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

According to Zulkifli, opposition MPs Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PKR-Kuala Langat) and Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) had championed the raise but Anwar was the one to state that the opposition objected to it.

However, Khalid Samad (PAS - Shah Alam) did not agree with him saying now was not the time to raise the allowances as the BN government was faced with a deficit budget.

However, Baharom insisted that raising the allowances was not a problem for the government.

The Dewan sits again on Monday.