PETALING JAYA: MPs can earn between RM30,000 and RM40,000 a month, says the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The Prime Minister’s Office also urged MPs to manage their finances wisely and to always remain mindful of the rakyat, many of whom earn far less than their elected representatives.
In a statement on Tuesday (March 11), the Prime Minister addressed recent remarks from certain quarters, particularly MPs themselves, who have claimed that their salaries are too low — to the point that some say they are forced into debt just to make ends meet.
For public awareness, the statement clarified that MPs are entitled to a fixed monthly allowance of RM25,700.
In addition to this, they are eligible to receive various other allowances and claims, depending on their roles and duties.
Among the domestic allowances MPs are entitled to are RM400 a day for attending parliamentary sittings, RM300 a day for attending Public Accounts Committee (PAC) or Special Select Committee meetings when Parliament is not in session, and RM250 a day for PAC meetings during parliamentary sittings.
MPs are also eligible for RM300 a day for attending official briefings, RM100 a day as a daily subsistence allowance when attending Parliament or on official duties beyond 32km from their residence, as well as travel and accommodation claims.
For official duties abroad, MPs can claim a meal allowance of RM340 per night and a daily subsistence allowance of RM170, along with accommodation and transport claims.
They are also entitled to claims for foreign currency exchange losses and tips equivalent to 25% of the meal allowance.
The statement noted that when all these payments are combined, a MP’s income could reach between RM30,000 and RM40,000 a month, a figure previously mentioned by the Prime Minister himself, who reiterated the need for MPs to be prudent in managing their finances and to never lose sight of the fact that many ordinary Malaysians live on much less.
On Monday (March 10), Anwar responded to Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who said the conditions imposed by the government for equal parliamentary constituency allocation were too strict and unfair, with this constituting the reason for the opposition coalition to reject Putrajaya's draft MOU for Opposition MP allocations.
Anwar added the MOU on equal allocation is a matter that is still up for negotiation as the draft MOU has not been finalised.
