Chong Chieng Jen
KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen has dismissed the 10-per cent cut from the salary of every Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblyman, meant to be contributed towards the State Disaster Fund, as ‘a political gimmick’.
This is because each one of them also has a RM5 million allocation at their disposal.
“While each of the GPS ADUNs (members of the State Legislative Assembly) got to enjoy their RM5 million in annual allocation and an additional RM200,000 in special allocation for giving food aid last year, the DAP ADUNs and MPs were deprived of such fund and had to use parts of their monthly salaries and allowances to help the people.
“As such, the 10-per cent salary contribution as announced by the GPS is merely a political gimmick,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Chong, who is Kota Sentosa assemblyman and Stampin MP, said all DAP elected representatives had, over the past one year, given more than 10 per cent of their salaries and allowances to help the people and also for the provision of Covid-19 assistance to those in need.
Nonetheless, he said the DAP lawmakers at both state and federal levels would continue contributing parts of their salaries and allowances to help those in need.
“In this respect, for the next three months, all DAP ADUNs and MPs would each set aside 20 per cent of their salaries into our DAP Service Centre’s account slated for specific aid for those in needs.
“This is on top of our monthly committed expenditure to maintain our service centre’s staff and expenses, financed mainly from our salaries and allowances, unlike those from the GPS who are able to enjoy special government funding,” he added.
Earlier yesterday, the Sarawak government announced that the Chief Minister and the State Cabinet would have two months’ worth of salary deducted, starting from this month, for the State Disaster Fund.
The Chief Minister’s Office, in that statement, said the contribution would also involve assistant ministers, ADUNs, the DUN Speaker and GPS assemblymen, as well the political secretaries to the chief minister.
It added that state civil servants too would make contributions through deductions of their entertainment allowance.
The Chief Minister’s salary would take a 30 per cent pay cut, followed by every deputy chief minister (25 per cent), the DUN Speaker and every minister (20 per cent), every assistant minister (15 per cent), every DUN member (10 per cent), and every political secretary (five per cent).