Penang Opposition Leader Azhar Ibrahim's rejection to the RM1,000 monthly allowance allocated by the state government for the position was criticised by a PKR backbencher as "disrespectful and unappreciative".

pkr weekly pc 151107 sim tze tsin Ruling Pakatan Rakyat assemblyperson Sim Tze Tzin of Pantai Jerejak also rapped Azhar for suggesting that the state government was insincere in its effort to institutionalise the position of state Opposition Leader.

He said Azhar was merely politicising and polarising a democratic issue to gain mileage and to safeguard his political interests.

"After all the state government cannot stop the allowance from being paid to Azhar because the position and perks were all legalised unanimously by the House under a state enactment.

"He knows it but still attempted to gain a political mileage by rejecting the allowance and accusing the state government as insincere," Sim told Malaysakini yesterday.

He said the move by the Penang government to institutionalise the position was part of Pakatan's efforts to strengthen state and national democratic structures to develop people-orientated governance.

"Pakatan is committed and determined to develop political governance for, by and with the people, something that the previous Barisan Nasional government failed to do.

"Hence, for him (Azhar) to say that the state government efforts were insincere clearly showed that he had failed to appreciate and comprehend democratic norms and values," said Sim, the political secretary to Parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Doesn't want to feel obligated

penang state govt budget 2009 141108 azahar ibrahim Penaga assemblyperson Azhar informed journalists after the assembly sitting on Friday that he would notify the House today about his decision to reject the allowance.

The provision for the allowance was contained in the Administrative and State Legislative Assembly Members Enactment (Emolument) (Amendment) 2008, which was unanimously passed by the assembly on Thursday.

Although Azhar, who is also the state Umno liaison secretary, appreciated the state government initiative, he nonetheless said he did not want to feel obligated to the state government and be stifled from voicing out his opinions.

He added the unfavourable current economic condition as another reason for his surprise decision.

Sim was however critical of Azhar's rejection, saying that the Umno assemblyperson was merely putting up a show to propel him as a 'people-orientated' leader.

"How many people he has helped when he was a senior executive councillor in the previous administration?" Sim asked.

If Azhar was sincere and honest, the PKR assemblyperson suggested to him to donate his allowance to charity organisation of his choice.