ALOR STAR: Perikatan Nasional members of parliament in Kedah have joined the chorus of Dewan Rakyat lawmakers in criticising the latest move to slash MPs' development allowance from RM3.8 million to RM1.3 million.

Sik MP Tarmizi Sulaiman described it as "disappointing and saddening for the people".

"The amount is way too small compared to the various requests put forward by the people concerning infrastructure and dilapidated home repair works, bedridden patients, education, floods disaster, community based programmes, mosques and suraus repair works, youths and single mother programmes and so on.

"It is unacceptable for the prime minister to reduce allocation for the people's fund. It should be reverted to the same amount approved by the previous government," he told the New Straits Times.

Tarmizi added that the Opposition MPs were in a shock, while expressing disappointment that until today, they had yet to be informed on allocations reserved for non-backbencher MPs.

"Is there a double-standard practice by the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional government on MPs that are not on the government side?

"Where is the democratic reform propagated (by Pakatan Harapan) all these while?" he asked.

His sentiment was echoed by PN Padang Serai MP Datuk Azman Nasrudin.

"PN MPs are not informed on the matter. As for now we are in the dark on whether we are getting allocations or otherwise," he said when contacted.

Azman expressed hope for the issue to be debated in the next Parliament sitting due to take place between this month and March.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that the development allowance for MPs had been reduced to RM1.3 million from RM3.8 million.

Anwar was reported as saying that the move was meant to better control the country's finances and would be implemented in stages.

He said the move involved the development allocations of MPs coordinated by the District and Land Office, and State Development Officer.

However, Anwar said the government would consider extending additional allocations if there were pressing needs in a particular parliamentary constituency, such as for repairing infrastructure.

Media reports have said the constituency allocations for government backbencher MPs this year have been slashed by more than 65 per cent, from RM3.8 million to RM1.3 million.

According to the reports, the amount consists of a RM1 million outright grant and another RM300,000 for service centre operations.

Earlier, Bersih was reported to have supported calls by opposition MPs, including Arau's Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, for the unity government led by Anwar to distribute equal amounts of allocations to all MPs.

The NST has reported yesterday that MPs from both sides of the divide have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's decision to slash their development allowance.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2023/02/876388/kedah-pn-mps-lament-development-allowance-slash