Government cut off 10% on allowance HIT RM2 billion

Yesterday, Malaysia government announced the move to cut allowances and paid holidays for ministers and their deputies. They shouted out: “Government will hand in hand sharing burden with Rakyat due to the rising cost of living standard from food and fuel prices increases. “

Prime ministers Abdullah also claims that those training or courses should be conducting in the providing places and section facilities, instead of renting hotel or function room to conduct those activities. Besides that, government should undertake the saving procedures to reduce purchase the administrative items (Barang AM) like office equipment, stationery, printing machines and so on. On the other hand, they will malleable purchase fixed asset like furniture, computer and car.

Government announced to cut off 10% on their extra allowances. Totally cut off 2 billion.

It sounds like a huge amount, but when we think deeply this particular amount actually refers to entertainment allowance, paid holidays, oversea investigation, and hotel rental and so on for only 108 ministers. Is that those expenses 2 billion is too much for 108 ministers?

The following are the prime ministers and other deputies’ monthly allowances as follow:

Prime Minister: RM18865
Deputy Prime Minister: RM15015
Ministers: RM12320
Deputry Ministers: RM6000

Do you think that 10% cut off is too small percentage if compare to thousand billion “Rakyat” in Malaysia of the rising fuel and food prices with 40%?

One thing we must know is 40% increase on “Basic needs” whereas 10% reduce is “Wants”. Read below for further explanation on basic economic.

A need is something you have to have, something you can't do without.

A want is something you would like to have. It is not absolutely necessary, but it would be a good thing to have.

We all quite support government proposed to cut off 10% on their allowance, this is a good sign for malaysian as well. In other words, government cut off 10% definitely not enough. This wouldn’t alert them about the critical inflation and high living cost. Instead they should try to cut off even more on those unnecessary expenses such as 40% to 50%.

As Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh said that “It’s eyewash”. He said it did not make sense to limit paid holidays for ministers and their families to local and Asean countries as such destinations could still be as expensive.

It’s eyewash, says Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh of the move to cut allowances and paid holidays for ministers and their deputies.

“I believe that they should set a figure for paid holiday expenses and let the ministers, their deputies and families go anywhere they want but they should not be able to claim more than their fixed entitlement,” he said, explaining that the free passage should be a fixed holiday passage.

“It is not necessary to cut that allowance as it only translates to a few hundred ringgit,” “They are pulling wool over the eyes of the people to make it look like they are also cutting back and we do not see how this is going to bring down prices for the lower-income people.” Ghapur added.
Anyway, when I noticed ministers and other deputies allowances goes into what a huge amount (resources obtained from newspaper). I was so surprised and furious that government all the while spent too much on those unnecessary things. It sounds like money wasted especially is our “Rakyat” contribution money.