The federal government should accord all parliamentarians equal dignity befitting their office, even when deciding on allocation for opposition MPs, the NGO Engage has said.

It was expressing concern over the disparity between the allocation announced for opposition MPs compared to government MPs.

In a statement, Engage said while the move was a welcome departure from the BN-led administration's practice of not providing any allocation to opposition MPs, it raised concern over how opposition MPs would be treated under the Pakatan Harapan-led administration.

"Shouldn’t all MPs be accorded the same treatment and dignity befitting their office regardless of which political parties they belong to, simply for the fact that they were elected by their constituents to represent them?

"It was stated in Promise 16 of the Harapan manifesto that, 'We (Harapan) will provide funding based on a transparent formula to all members of the Dewan Rakyat so that they can carry out the responsibilities in their respective constituencies and to run their service centres.'

"While it is not stated that equal funding will be provided, it didn’t say otherwise either, thus giving the impression that it would be. Further, as the heading for Promise 16 is to 'Restore the Dignity of the Parliament', we ask the question if it would be possible to have dignity without equality?" Engage chairperson Thomas Fann (above) stated.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had yesterday announced that opposition MPs would be allocated RM100,000, whereas government MPs would be allocated RM500,000.

The allocation is to be paid before next week's Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

Fann said that since Harapan had been in the opposition until the 14th general election, the new government should understand the injustice of being deprived of fair treatment, and asked if they wanted to be unjust in their treatment of the new opposition as well.

Since yesterday's announcement had been brief, Fann urged the prime minister to give a full explanation since Harapan had promised to "provide funding based on a transparent formula to all members of the Dewan Rakyat".

"It would augur well for the new government to send a message to Malaysians that they are committed to rebuilding our nation on the foundation of a new political culture of fair play and respect for the august house, putting an end once and for all the undemocratic punitive politics of BN. 

He said Harapan had a moral duty to show how a democratic government should behave by being a government for all, irrespective if constituents had voted for Harapan, BN, PAS or PSM.