Opposition MPs jabbed over allowance increase
Opposition MPs were taunted in parliament today over their support for the proposed raise in allowance under Budget 2015.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim took jibe at DAP's Kota Kinabalu MP Jimmy Wong who raised the issue of poor development in Sabah.
Wong said the proposed increment in MPs' salaries was timely but suggested that the raise for Sabah and Sarawak MPs should be higher since the cost of living there was higher than in the peninsula.
Shahidan interrupted as Wong was speaking: “YB setuju tak dengan kenaikan elaun? Setuju tak?(YB do you agree with the allowance increment? Do you?).
Since yesterday, Shahidan had been making jibes at the opposition which had often reminded Putrajaya to be mindful of the people's struggle to cope with higher living costs.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the increase announced this time was more appropriate as it was not too high.
In his Budget 2015 speech, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that from January 1, 2015, the allowance for 222 MPs would be increased from the equivalent Grade 54 to Grade Jusa C.
The basic salary in the Jusa C grade last year started at RM7,189.
MPs' salaries have been revised five times, in 1992, 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.
In the 2005 review, their basic pay was raised from RM5,916.90 to RM6,508.59 now, not inclusive of other benefits such as an RM1,200 driver's allowance. – October 14, 2014.
