KUALA LUMPUR: Each government Member of Parliament (MP) received an allocation of up to RM2.2mil for the year 2023 and 2024, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) said the Prime Minister’s special allocation for parliamentary constituencies serves as a supplement and was meant to complement the allocations provided under the country's Five-Year Plan.
"For the years 2023 and 2024, the allocation received by each Government MP, is RM1.7mil for constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia while RM2.2mil is allocated for constituencies in Sabah and Sarawak," she said in reply to a question from Salamiah Mohd Nor (PN-Temerloh).
Salamiah wanted to know the total amount of allocation disbursed by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) to government MPs from 2023 to 2024.
She had also asked the Prime Minister on the distribution and allocation of funds for opposition MPs.
However, Dr Zaliha said the allocation and distribution of these funds are based on existing policies and are subject to the government’s current financial capacity.
"The provision and distribution of the Prime Minister’s special allocation for parliamentary constituencies follow existing policies and subject to the government’s financial capacity.
"However, this allocation is not the only source of funding available for constituency development.
"Various other allocations exist, including development funds under multiple ministries and statutory bodies such as Regional Development Authorities.
"When combined, these funds exceed the Prime Minister’s special allocation for parliamentary constituencies," she added.