PKR MP moots higher pay for lawmakers

Summary

• PKR MP Wong Chen says lawmakers should be paid higher salaries to ensure they are able to effectively do their jobs.

• He also backs parliamentary privileges for MPs as they have a ‘hard’ job with little time for their families.

• He calls for fair distribution of constituency development funds to opposition MPs to prevent party-hopping.

Government backbencher Wong Chen has urged for higher salaries to be given to MPs, asserting that the measure is needed to ensure proper and effective implementation of work. 

Advocating for a “carrot and stick” approach in policy formulations, the PKR lawmaker said MPs are “underpaid” as they have to take care of not only their families, but also their officers and staffers.

“The political expenses we have, you think we are only looking after our children and spouses? You’ve also got all these people in your office. 

“The political work is unusual. Until you become a politician, you won’t understand what the cost entails… a lot of allowances is not (a) salary,” Wong said during a book launch in Kuala Lumpur today. 

‘Honourable’ performance

Noting that Singapore pays higher salaries to its elected officials, the Subang MP said making MPs’ lives “more comfortable” while providing them with the resources to do their jobs would ensure that they are able to perform “honourably”.

He also vouched for parliamentary privileges, asserting that MPs have a right to such claims as they have been given a “hard” job.

“You don’t have time for your family (and) children, you travel constantly... join the political fray, come in and become a candidate, then you’ll find out what it is all about,” he lamented.

“You have to give them (MPs) the opportunity to do their work, (and) that means providing them with a bigger office - not in terms of size, but the number of officers.

“If you kill us in terms of resources, we can’t work... That’s when (MPs) might take shortcuts (by) asking a Tan Sri or Datuk Seri for donations,” he cautioned.

Wong was speaking at the launch of political economist and activist Edmund Terence Gomez’s book titled “Misgovernance: Grand Corruption in Malaysia”.

The event was jointly organised by the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism as well as the Coalition for Business Integrity.

In March, the Prime Minister’s Office said the total income of an MP can reach RM30,000 to RM40,000 per month, if various allowances and claims they are entitled to are factored in.

Kini News Lab previously detailed exactly how much MPs, the speaker and deputy speakers of the Dewan Rakyat are paid, as well as how much a recently active politician will be getting in pensions.

Allocate funds fairly

Wong also called for a fairer allocation of constituency development funds, insisting that such funding should be equally provided to opposition MPs to reduce the chances of party-hopping.

“Malaysia has rural areas and different political needs (compared to other nations with more developed economies), so if we need to continue this constituency development fund, then just give it to all (MPs).

“(The funding of) around RM3.5 million is important for MPs to do their community work.

“Otherwise, you will have opposition MPs always looking for opportunities to jump (parties) or (government parties), trying to steal some people in the name of the funds,” he added.

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