The Johor cabinet has agreed to follow Putrajaya's lead to trim the salaries for its members by 10 percent.

In a statement this evening, Menteri Besar Osman Sapian said Johor will be the first state to emulate the example set by the federal cabinet.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's cabinet had trimmed their salaries by 10 percent as a sign of its commitment towards austerity measures.

The Mahathir administration had claimed that the previous administration had racked up RM1 trillion in debts and liabilities, a significant portion of which was hidden as government guaranteed debt.

Last Saturday, Osman said that Johor would only proceed with the salary cut with the agreement of all state excos.

Opposition leader recognised

He added in his statement today that the state opposition leader will be recognised, which entails being accorded an allowance, and provided an office in the state assembly.

Johor will be the third state, after Penang and Selangor, to grant this recognition to opposition leaders.

Soon after being appointed menteri besar, Osman had said that the state government would have to consider the move due to financial constraints.

He had also said at the time that the Harapan state government would not give allocations to opposition assemblypersons – a move that earned him brickbats and a rebuke from Bersatu's leadership.

Osman later confirmed that all state assemblypersons, including those from the opposition, would receive the same RM50,000 annual allocation to ensure efficient service to the people.

The Johor cabinet has also agreed to financial aid of up to RM1,000 for civil servants in the state, in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

Osman noted, however, that this will be subject to approval by the federal cabinet.