RECENTLY, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs can still get allocations – but with conditions.
So much for his grand promise of fairness.
During the last general election, Pakatan Harapan (PH) loudly championed equal constituency funding for all MPs regardless of party affiliation.
Page 42 of the ruling coalition’s 94-page manifesto clearly states that “HARAPAN will provide equal Constituency Development Funds (CDF) for MPs regardless of party because they represent the interests of voters in their constituencies. This allocation must be relayed through the Parliament and not the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)”.
It was a noble commitment, one that positioned Anwar as a statesman above petty politics. But it seems that he is now conveniently backpedalling.
The Madani administration’s proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) comes with fine print – conditions that the opposition deems excessive and unfair.
Let’s be clear: constituency funds should not be used as political bargaining chips. They are meant for the rakyat, not for MPs to grovel in front of the PMO.
Beating around the bush
Anwar claims both sides are still “negotiating” the terms but why is there even a need for negotiations? A promise is a promise. Either you honour it or you don’t.
When pressed about the issue, PMX who is also the Finance Minister dismissed complaints by justifying that MPs are already earning RM30,000 to RM40,000 a month.
The implication? That opposition MPs don’t need constituency funds because they are not starving. But that is not the point. These funds are meant for development projects and public welfare – not MPs’ personal salaries.
If PH believes in good governance, then equal allocation must be given without strings attached. Anything else is just political blackmail dressed up as bureaucracy.
Interestingly, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman managed to secure his allocation earlier this week after meeting the government’s conditions. Unlike PN, he had no qualms about signing on the dotted line. But let’s not forget what it took for him to get there.
For months, Syed Saddiq had to raise his own funds for his constituency. He even went to the extent of modelling traditional Malay attire with Sandakan-born singer and actress Bella Astillah to generate RM1 mil worth of aid for Muar residents.
That’s what an opposition MP had to resort to – fashion gigs and crowdfunding – while government MPs enjoyed guaranteed funding.
The fact that an MP had to become a social media influencer to secure aid for his constituency is both hilarious and tragic.
This entire saga highlights PH’s hypocrisy. Weren’t they the ones who once slammed Barisan Nasional (BN) for using constituency funds as political leverage? Weren’t they the ones who promised a new, transparent way of governance?
Yet here we are, almost 30 months into Anwar’s administration and Opposition constituencies are still being short-changed. Meanwhile, PMX continues to lecture about fairness while keeping opposition MPs on a tight leash.
This is about more than just funding. This is about whether Malaysia’s democracy is truly maturing or if we are just shifting from one form of patronage politics to another.
If Anwar truly believes in reform, he must immediately release constituency funds to all MPs – unconditional and with no political games. Anything less is a betrayal of the very principles he claims to uphold.
No MP should have to beg – or catwalk as a model – to serve their constituents. – March 12, 2025
Main image credit: Berita Harian
