KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — The Selangor state government should reverse its allegedly “unreasonable” pay hike for lawmakers and use it to help improve the lives of those living in the state, the state’s MCA publicity chief has said.
Datuk Yap Pian Hon today criticised the pay rise that was passed as law in Selangor yesterday, saying that this was done even as pressing issues in the state such as water supply problems and alleged corruption remain unresolved.
“I urge the Selangor State Government to review and revoke the Bill as the relevant funds should be channelled towards development and management within the state, particularly in strengthening security and infrastructure,” the former vice-president said in a statement today.
Yap attacked Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s revised salary as “ludicrous”, saying that it would outstrip the prime minister’s pay by RM6,424, pointing out that the latter had more responsibilities as the entire country’s leader as opposed to Khalid’s care of a single state.
“For the Menteri Besar’s salary to exceed the Prime Minister’s by RM6,424 is ludicrous considering that the PM’s responsibilities are much weightier governing the entire country compared to the former who looks after only one state.
“Even the pay of Selangor Excos will be higher than the Deputy Prime Minister by RM5,343 while the remuneration of the state Assemblymen of RM11,250 is nearly double that of Members of Parliament,” he added, when comparing the salaries of those holding federal posts against those with state positions.
Although Yap noted Khalid’s justification that the pay rise was due to Selangor government’s effective management of the state’s security and development, he claimed that the state was plagued with a list of problems that needed to be tackled.
“However, Selangor is also bogged down by a laundry list of problems which the state government must address like disruption in water supply, graft, sand theft, failure to build low-cost homes, poor planning for the towns and residential areas and a climb in property assessment rates,” he said.
Yap then continued to say that the PR-led state government should not “take the mandate of Selangor residents for granted and do whatever it pleases”.
“If the state government can award its legislators a mountainous take home yet are disaffected by its residents struggling to earn a living, then it does not deserve the trust and confidence of voters,” he concluded.
Yesterday, the Selangor State Legislative Assembly approved a salary hike for all 56 state assemblymen effective Jan 1 next year, with its Deputy Speaker getting the highest percentage of 373.3.
The Members of Administration and Members of the State Assembly (Remuneration) (Amended) Enactment 2013 also provided for a salary boost for the Selangor Menteri Besar, Speaker and State Executive Committee lineup.
The menteri besar’s monthly salary would be increased from RM14,175.15 to RM29,250; state executive committee, from RM6,109.29 to RM20,250; speaker, from RM6,109.29 to RM22,500; deputy speaker, from RM3,327.50 to RM15,750 and state assemblymen from RM6,000 to RM11,250.
The last time the state approved a salary hike was in 2004, an aide in the Menteri Besar’s office told The Malay Mail Online today, following an order by the-then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for Barisan Nasional elected representatives to “go down to the ground” and work harder for the public.
Earlier today, Opposition leader and Selangor state economic advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim criticised the move, saying the increase was “a bit high” and told Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to explain the rationale for the huge jump in salary.
Yesterday, Khalid was reported to have said that the pay rise was due to the “burden of increased duties and responsibilities”, with the state’s healthy finances being a contributing factor.
“And of course, it is also because of the continued requests made by the assemblymen,” the two-term Mentri Besar who first stepped into office in 2008, The Star reported today.
The state’s Opposition Leader Datuk Shamsuidn Lias was supportive of the pay rise, noting that the state lawmakers’ have not been raised for a long time.
“The increases are timely and in tandem with the high cost of living. They will allow us assemblymen to intensify our services to our constituents,” the BN state lawmaker was quoted as saying by The Star today.
Selangor is now being ruled by the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for the second term, with the pact having wrested control of the country’s most industrialised and wealthiest state from the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Election 2008.
