GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government has allocated RM60,000 to each opposition member of the Penang Legislative Assembly for the year 2024, and this amount will be maintained for the year 2025.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government has no intention of increasing allocations to opposition assemblymen, considering that the state government has appointed KADUN Coordinating Officers (PPK) in those areas.
“For the year 2024, the state government has allocated RM500,000 each to government assemblymen, RM60,000 to opposition assemblymen and RM100,000 to PPK.”
“Additionally, all allocations for the benefit of the residents, whether in the constituencies of government assemblymen or opposition assemblymen, have been coordinated in an integrated manner by departments, agencies and state government-owned companies, which among other things are translated into projects and programmes under the state executive council committee or the direct implementation of projects/programmes by the state government,“ he said at the Penang state assembly sitting here today.
Chow said this in response to a question from Zulkefli Bakar (PN-Penanti) regarding the allocation received by the opposition assemblymen.
Chow said that as representatives of the people, all assemblymen can bring forward the problems or requests of their constituents to the state government departments and agencies, which are always ready to assist the people by practicing the ‘no wrong door policy’.
Meanwhile, in his supplementary question, Zulkefli asked whether the state government would consider increasing the allowances of all assemblymen so that they could serve the people in their areas with the additional allocation.
Chow also said that the last adjustment of the assemblyman’s allowance was indeed 10 years ago and it should be adjusted every 10 to 15 years.
“However, the allowances for parliamentary representatives have not been adjusted for the past 10 years. If the federal government conducts a study on the need for this adjustment, the state government will also conduct the same study,“ he added.
