KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa has today questioned the popular demand for Cabinet members to take a pay cut in solidarity with the public who are facing rising costs of living.
Instead, the chairman of the task force inflation said there is no country that manages to lower its inflation level and keeping the prices of goods low with such a move.
"Can you name me one country that manages to bring down the inflation by making pay cuts? If you take RM10,000 from each minister, how much money can you get?
"Can you assure me the inflation is solved, the price of goods wouldn’t go up? Come on, don't play politics,” he told a press conference after the task force’s meeting at Parliament here.
Malaysians have continue to air their frustration with the rising cost of living and lack of action by the government to handle it, leading to calls for ministers to take a pay cut and channel the savings to the public.
The #PotongGajiMenteri hashtag was trending on Twitter, with many asking for the ministers to empathise with the people's plight and step up in taking at least a 20 per cent salary cut and reduction in allowances.
Slashing the minister's wages is also part of a student group’s demand, in two street demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur.
Annuar also said the task force is willing to meet with parties such as the student groups and the opposition to explain to them what the government has been doing to combat inflation.
He said economic affairs minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad has been tasked with preparing this meeting.
Under the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980, the prime minister's monthly wage starts at RM22,826.65, his deputy RM18,170.20, a minister RM14,907.20, and a deputy minister RM8,847.65 on top of the RM16,000 monthly wage for an MP and RM11,000 for a senator.
