Bill on MPs' salary and allowance increase postponed

The Members of Parliament (Remuneration) (Amendment) Bill 2014 relating to their salary and allowance increase has been postponed to the next parliamentary session.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim in announcing this Thursday, said all papers and documents on the bill for debate this time had been withdrawn.

The House had convened to debate on the bill for the second reading at about 7.30pm before taking a break at 7.50pm after no agreement was reached on the matters discussed.

Several MPs had requested the bill be reviewed to seek a higher amount comparable to what assemblymen in several states were receiving, reasoning that they took on various responsibilities as well as increasing and challenging duties.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin then asked all parties to stay calm and wait for the decision from Shahidan before the postponement was announced.

On Wednesday, the bill, which also involves salary increase for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat and President and Deputy President of the Dewan Negara (Senate), was tabled for the first reading.

Based on its contents, it was proposed that the monthly salary of MPs be increased from RM6,508.59 to RM11,000, members of the Senate (RM4,112.79 to RM7,000), Deputy President of the Dewan Negara and Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (from RM10,847.65 to RM16,000) and President and Speaker (from RM14,707.20 to RM20,000).

Currently, each MP receives a basic salary of RM6,508.59 per month and monthly allowance of RM5,000 to cover entertainment expenses, driver's salary, travel and mobile phone bills.

They are also paid a meeting allowance of RM200 per day when attending the Dewan Rakyat sitting and daily allowance of RM150 for attending meetings with government agencies.

In 2011, the government withdrew the proposal to raise the salary and allowance of 222 members of Parliament following objection from the opposition MPs.

When tabling the Budget 2015, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the allowance of MPs would be raised from the equivalent of Grade 54 to the equivalent of Jusa C while the allowance of senators would be increased from the equivalent of Grade 48 to the equivalent of between Grade 54 and Jusa C.