CYBERJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has emphasised that the government remains open to discussions with the opposition regarding allocations for opposition Members of Parliament (MPs).
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said any arising issues could be raised through meetings, and the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on opposition allocations could be amended if necessary.
"I attended five meetings when I was in the opposition. Have meetings first -- the draft can be amended. Why make noise outside? Want to be a street hero? Learn first," he told reporters after attending the 29th Revenue Day celebration at the Inland Revenue Board Tower here today.
Anwar was responding to a statement by Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, who claimed that the coalition had valid reasons for rejecting the conditions set by the government regarding allocations for opposition MPs.
Muhyiddin alleged that the conditions in the MoU were unusually strict, as if the opposition had to surrender everything to the government.
On Feb 22, Anwar reiterated his advice for opposition MPs to engage in discussions with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof regarding the allocations.
He said such talks were not new, noting that when Pakatan Harapan was in the opposition, he had engaged with the ninth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Anwar said the opposition was exploiting the issue to gain public attention, with some even claiming they were financially burdened and in debt, despite earning up to RM40,000 per month.
"Do you know how much an MP earns, including meeting allowances? RM30,000 to RM40,000. So, it's not like they have no money at all," he said.
He also stressed that allocations for all parliamentary constituencies, including those held by the opposition, were still channelled to the people regardless of political affiliation.
"For example, take a constituency like Tambun, let’s say it is under the opposition. Road projects will still proceed; it's a question of whether the funds will go directly to the people or be proposed by the MP -- that's the difference.
"So, to claim that the people are burdened is not true. Secondly, to say that MPs are now destitute -- I don't know how RM40,000 a month can still be considered poor," Anwar added.
