SEREMBAN: Pakatan Harapan's 17 assemblymen in the previous Negri Sembilan government must return the allocations disbursed to them a day before the dissolution of the last state legislative assembly on June 5, says Datuk Ismail Lasim.
The Mentri Besar said the decision was finalised during the state executive council meeting on Wednesday (Aug 26).
He said two Pakatan co-ordinators for Labu and Paroi, who had also received the funding, are also required to refund the allocations.
"The seven exco members, including the former Mentri Besar, were each allocated RM225,000 and these funds were intended for community programmes and service centre operations spanning July, August, and September.
"The 10 other Pakatan assemblymen were given RM174,000 each while the co-ordinators, RM150,000 each," he said after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri.
He said although the previous state exco had approved the allocations on June 3 and the money disbursed to them the following day, they were not fully entitled to the funds as the assembly was dissolved on June 5.
The issue of the 19 being given the allocations a day before the dissolution of the state legislative assembly was hotly debated during the recent Aug 18 special assembly sitting.
The issue had also gone viral on social media with many parties questioning if it was justified.
Government backbenchers during the special sitting said the allocations made no sense as they were for the months of July, Aug and Sept while the assembly was dissolved on June 5.
In the state polls on Aug 1, Barisan Nasional won 18 seats and its partner Perikatan Nasional bagged seven, while Pakatan won the remaining 11.
Ismail said since the former excos remained ex-officios until the polls were held on Aug 1, they will be entitled to the allocation for the month of July.
"So, the excos will only have to return RM150,000 or two-thirds of what they received and the others, the full amount," he said.
Ismail said the 19 will have to return the funds within 30 days of receiving a letter from his office.
He said it was only proper for them to return the funds as they had no functions from July to Sept as the assembly had already been dissolved on June 5.
Separately, Ismail said the state exco had also agreed to appoint former state MIC chief Datuk V.S.Mogan as officer in charge of Indian affairs in the state with exco status.
Mogan, who is Rembau MIC chief, was former Jeram Padang assemblyman and state exco from 2008 to 2013.
On another matter, state local government, housing and non-Islamic affairs committee chairman John Siow who was also present at the media conference said the exco has also agreed to end the tenure of all local councillors in the state on Aug 31.
Their term was to have expired in Nov.
Siow said the new local councillors will start their term on Oct 1.
