KUCHING, June 4 — The state DAP today said it will not follow the salary deduction rate of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state assemblymen by 10 per cent announced by the Chief Minister’s Office early today for the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee Fund (SDMCF).
In comparison, its chairman Chong Chieng Jen said all the state DAP state and federal lawmakers will deduct their salaries and allowances by 20 per cent for three months for specific aids of those in need.
“This is on top of our monthly committed expenses to maintain our service centres’ staff and expenses which are financed mainly from our salaries and allowances, unlike those from the GPS who enjoyed special government funding,” Chong said when responding to the salary cut by the state cabinet ministers, state assemblymen and political secretaries.
He said all the DAP lawmakers have over the past one year given more than 10 per cent of their salaries and allowances to help the people and for the provision of Covid-19 aid to those in need.
“While the GPS state assemblymen enjoy their RM5 million yearly allocation and an additional RM200,000 special allocation for giving food aids last year, the DAP state assemblymen and Members of Parliament were deprived of such fund and have to use part of their monthly salaries and allowances for helping the people,” Chong said.
“As such, the 10 per cent salary contribution is merely a political gimmick given that each GPS state assemblymen have on top of their salaries, RM5 million allocation at their disposal to implement various projects including giving food aids and assistance,” he said.
In its announcement earlier, the CMO said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg, his state Cabinet ministers and House Speaker will contribute two months of their salaries to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee Fund (SDMCF), to be deducted over a certain period of months.
The assistant ministers, political secretaries, Gaungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state assemblymen and senior state civil servants will also be contributing to the fund.
The chief minister will have his salary cut by 30 per cent, his three deputies by 25 per cent and ministers and House Speaker by 20 per cent.
The statement said the salaries of assistant ministers will be cut by 15 per cent, salaries of state assemblymen by 10 per cent and political secretaries by 5 per cent.
