MPs salary increase bill withdrawn for amendment

KUALA LUMPUR: The government withdrew its proposal to increase the monthly salaries and allowances of the presiding officers and elected representatives of Parliament, which was supposed to take effect in January 2015.
The bill was withdrawn for amendments till the next Dewan Rakyat sitting in March 2015, after lawmakers from both sides of the divide argued for a higher amount of increment compared to the proposed amount.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia ordered a 15-minute recess to decide whether the bill would be rejected or amended.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the bill would be withdrawn till the next sitting after the sitting resumed.
The Members of Parliament (Remuneration ) (Amendment) Bill 2014 involves an additional cost of RM14.75 million per year.
The bill had provided that MPs will have their monthly allowances increased to RM11,000 from RM6,580.59 while members of the Senate will have their allowances increased to RM7,000 from RM4,112.79.
The Dewan Negara President and the Dewan Rakyat Speaker will have their salaries increased to RM20,000 from RM14,907.20 while the Dewan Negara Deputy President and Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speakers will have their salaries increased to RM16,000 from RM10,847.65.
The increment, which was part of the government's 2015 Budget, was supposed to be effective from Jan 1, 2015 if the bill is passed.