KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Amid the tumult over Selangor’s pay hike, PKR backbencher Amirudin Shari has rallied to his chief’s defence, suggesting Azmin Ali was acting as the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state’s conscience rather than in defiance of the ruling bloc.

The Batu Caves assemblyman noted that while it had become tradition, especially in Commonwealth countries, for the backbenchers’ club (BBC) to support the government’s proposed policies and laws, any issue that the state wished to push through had to first be discussed and passed within its own ranks.

“The role of the BBC in an assembly hall is to support the motion brought by the government,” Amirudin said in a statement.

“However, the motion must be discussed first and debated in a pre-council meeting to get the consent of the BBC as practised in Commonwealth countries. We just want for there to be communication between the government and BBC.”

Amirudin was responding to Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim, who pointed out today that Azmin (picture), the assemblyman for Bukit Antarabangsa, was present but did not object when the bill for the pay raises was tabled and passed by the state legislative assembly on Wednesday.

“He didn’t utter a word,” said Teng, who was also former state legislative speaker. “Even the opposition, none of them uttered a word.”

Amirudin said the BBC was not against the pay hike, but argued it wanted the rate to be within reason.

He also said that the state government should have given priority to upgrading basic facilities for assemblymen such as their offices, research officers, library, and a better online hansard system.

Arguing that the adjustments were “too high”, the Selangor BBC urged the PR state yesterday to postpone the January 2014 salary revision of its government leaders, including the legislative assembly speaker, deputy speaker and assemblymen pending a review.

Its chairman Azmin claimed the BBC had not been consulted before Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim made the pay hike announcement at the state assembly yesterday.

On Wednesday, Khalid announced salary increases for himself, the state speaker and deputy speaker, state executive councillors, as well as assemblymen, by up to 400 per cent to mark Selangor’s healthy finances.

The increase is set to take effect from January 1 next year.

At a separate news conference, the embattled Khalid was reported to have refused to defer the salary increases for state government officials, saying the decision had already been passed in the Selangor legislative assembly.

The second-term mentri besar of Malaysia’s wealthiest state said assemblymen from both sides of the political divide had been enthusiastic for the increase and none had raised an objection when the matter was debated in the state law-making body.

Khalid reportedly said the salaries were raised to provide sufficient funds for the elected representatives to carry out their duties instead of being preoccupied with looking for extra cash elsewhere.

He also suggested that assemblymen who now disagreed with the state’s decision could choose to donate their newfound largesse.