Just not good enough...

PETALING JAYA: The Federal Government should slash the entertainment allowances of ministers and deputy ministers by 50 per cent and not just a paltry 10 per cent, said DAP adviser-cum-MP for Ipoh Timur, Lim Kit Siang.

He said the first of many questions on the minds of Malaysians on the RM2 billion cost-cutting package announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is:

"If the Government can increase oil prices from 41 to 63 per cent, why can't it slash the entertainment allowances of Cabinet ministers and Deputy Ministers by 50 per cent instead of 10 per cent?."

He said in a statement that the question becomes all the more poignant when it was disclosed that the current entertainment allowances are RM18,865 for the PM; RM15,015 for the Deputy PM; RM12,320 for Ministers and RM6,000 for Deputy Ministers.

"And what about all the other allowances which run into hundreds of ringgit a day, which ministers and Deputy Ministers are entitled to?," he questioned.

He said for a start all the various allowances Ministers and Deputy Ministers are entitled to should be made public not only as a form of leadership by example in terms of accountability, transparency and good governance. But also to demonstrate that they feel the pain of the people caused by the "unconscionable-and-callous" oil price hikes ranging from 41 to 63 per cent.

Lim argued that Abdullah's statement that the cost-cutting measures "will not be the first or the last" and that many other announcements will be made by the Government is testimony that these measures are "after thoughts".

He said it was only made following the public's anger and outrage over the hefty oil price increases when mitigation measures should have been part of any Cabinet decision causing far-reaching inflationary repercussions imposing great financial hardships on all vulnerable sectors of the Malaysian population.

He added that the public's anger and outrage had been aggravated by the lack of any sign that the Government was prepared to end its waste, extravagance, misappropriation of public funds, lack of accountability and the many mega-scandals.

He claimed these scandals "like the Petronas billions and the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) bailout scandal" were further examples that the Cabinet had not learnt the lessons of the March 8 "political tsunami" to be a caring, responsible, just and people-oriented administration.

"It is no wonder Malaysians regard the RM2b cost-cutting measures as not only too little and too late."

In KOTA KINABALU, the Government measures to alleviate the miseries of the poor don't go far enough, said leading social activist, Anne Keyworth.

"The fuel crisis has caused many families who were living slightly above the poverty line to dip below the line. And now, they are back to where they were before.

"And what about the other hardcore poor? Their lives are more miserable now than before," she said adding that they would now have to resort to reducing their meals.

Hence, while it was a correct move by the Prime Minister to cut the entertainment allowance of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, there should be more expenditure cuts including holiday trips which are paid for by the taxpayers," she said.

Anne or fondly known as Mama Anne had said last week that Ministers should take a pay cut across the board and reduce their perks and benefits as a first step for the government to take the lead to cut costs.

She had also said that any "additional recution of expenses" should have a portion of it going to the poor.

The additional funds should be given to the welfare ministry and department which could then to the poor to reduce the daily burden they are facing "in just trying to put food on the table."

"Perhaps, our welfare department will get better office equipment and more vehicles for the staff to be able to go to the ground to hand over the needed assistance to these poor folks," she said.

She also pointed out that due to the fuel crisis, the flow of public donations has also been disrupted with shelter and charitable homes and organizations trying the make ends' meet.

"We have the poor and helpless, often without families who need similar support," she said in expressing hope that the government would also look into the plight of these people.

According to Mama Anne, the approach to be taken by the Government to alleviate the suffering of the poor must be holistic in nature.

"The poor and hungry cannot wait and their suffering must be lessened."