Bersatu’s top leadership has been urged to consider a mechanism of salary cuts for its members holding government or agency posts to resolve the problem of lack of funds that is plaguing the party.

Bersatu supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan said for this purpose, the salaries of ministers, deputy ministers, political secretaries and members of board of directors in agencies should be deducted according to set percentages each month.

The funds would enable leaders at the grassroots level to provide services to the public, he said.

He added that supreme council members, ministers, deputy ministers and political appointees should realise that they rose to the top because of the efforts of people at the bottom.

“So I do not see anything wrong if there is a mechanism of fixed salary cuts taken from them for the party,” he said.

“This will show people at the bottom that the support they gave us are not to enrich us but the allowances or salaries we get are used to help them provide service to the people,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama at Menara PTPTN in Kuala Lumpur.

Similar salary cuts are practised by PKR and DAP with set percentages deducted from members of Parliament and state assemblypeople and used for party operations.

The lack of party funds was hotly debated during Bersatu’s second annual general assembly held late last year after its vice-president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman urged the government to channel contracts or projects to the party’s division leaders.

Wan Saiful said the issue of lack of funds was often raised by leaders at the grassroots level and this showed their level of commitment towards strengthening the party.

“So, when committee members at the division or branch level voice their worry about party funds, to me this shows that they are committed to giving service to the people, that is why they need the funds, not to enrich themselves. So the call for the funds issue to be resolved is a rational request and should be given attention,” he said.

Wan Saiful also said besides ensuring that government contracts are given fairly without any political interference, grassroots leaders including division and branch heads must be given expertise and training to collect funds for the party.

- Bernama