Johor govt urged to increase annual allocation for assemblymen from RM350k to RM800k

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor government has been urged to review and increase the allocation for its 56 assemblymen from RM350,000 to RM800,000 a year.

State speaker Suhaizan Kaiat (pic) said currently, all assemblymen in Johor received a yearly allocation of RM350,000, but added that this was not enough to “meet the rakyat’s growing needs”.

“An elected representative must carry out various activities with the rakyat more often.

“The suggestion to have a new allocation of RM800,000 a year must be carried out by 2020, ” he said in his speech during a Johor state assembly workshop here on Monday (Sept 9).

Also present at the event was Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

Suhaizan said that the allocation review was part of a five-point resolution passed during the two-day workshop, and which has been passed on to the Metri Besar.

He added that the four other resolutions were restructuring the state assembly institution, creating more select committees, increasing the quality of debate among assemblymen, and carrying out live streaming of state assembly sittings.

On the need for more select committees, compared with only three currently, he said: “This will be in line with the practices of Parliament from other countries under the Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislators, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

He added that the new select committees should be based on the rakyat’s needs such as housing, employment, cost of living, security and environment.

These must be submitted to the state assembly for approval, with a reasonable allowance given to members who attended meetings.

Suhaizan also said that to achieve more dynamic debates, the Regulations on Debating in Rules and Regulations, Article 45 (ii) of no interference should be dropped.

“To save time when debating, there is no need for all assemblymen to speak during a sitting, where a speaker will chose some of the assemblymen who are ready to debate just like in Parliament, ” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Sahruddin said that strengthening the role of the state assembly was the main priority of his government in ensuring the smoothness, order and continuity of the institution.

He added organising such a workshop was an initiative in line with the government’s effort to carrying out changes for a better and more efficient system in managing the state assembly.