DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock has asked the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues to set a good example for the nation's 900.000 civil servants by giving up their 'cabinet member's allowance' which they have been enjoying since Jan 1 last year.

The suggestion comes o­n the heels of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's advice yesterday to civil servants not to keep demanding higher salaries, because this would raise the cost of living.

Increased allowances

Kerk said nobody would disagree that unreasonable and unrealistic wage increases would have a negative impact o­n the nation and the people.

However, in asking civil servants to think of service first, government leaders themselves should set a good example, he said in a statement today.

"Why should members of the cabinet enjoy an allowance when they are already drawing monthly salaries as prime minister, deputy prime minister or cabinet minister?" he asked.

Kerk said the government had admitted in a parliamentary reply to him o­n June 19 last year that the cabinet had increased fixed monthly allowances of its members from Jan 1:

* Prime Minister (gets) RM10,768

* Deputy Prime Minister - RM8,215

* Minister - RM6,720

* Deputy Minister - RM3,200

* Parliamentary Secretary - RM2,450

* Political Secretary - RM2,050

It was also decided that there would be a new perk in the form of a fixed monthly 'Cabinet Member's Allowance'. This amounts to RM8,500 for the prime minister, RM6,700 for his deputy and RM4,000 for each minister.

Kerk, the Kota Melaka MP, also said that in 2001 and 2002, he had persistently asked the government to explain in parliament why the cabinet had decided to increase such perks in a non-transparent manner and without any public announcement.

The government has yet to provide a satisfactory answer, he added.