DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang today called for investigations into high allowance claims by members of Parliament to be widened to include all monthly claims above RM5,000.

Lim said this in response to Minister in Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim, who was quoted in a news report today as saying that average monthly claims by MPs should be between RM3,000 and RM4,200.

"DAP challenges Rais to make public in Parliament all claims by MPs which exceed RM5,000 a month since December1999 and to submit them for thorough investigations by the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) or a Special Parliamentary Inquiry Committee," he said in a press statement.

'High spenders'

In addition, Lim said the minister should also be prepared to make public his own (Rais') parliamentary claims as well as claims made in his capacity as a cabinet minister.

The DAP chairperson said apart from parliamentary claims, ministers are also entitled to ministerial claims which had recently been increased to five-digit amounts.

"The public is entitled to know whether he was only referring to his claims as a MP but not as a cabinet minister. What is his average monthly claim as a minister?" he questioned.

The claims scandal broke out after Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister's Department Noh Omar revealed last week that 14 MPs had submitted monthly claims above RM10,000 between January 2002 and June 2003.

Topping the list of 'high-spenders' is PAS MP for Jeli Mohd Apandi Mohamad whose total claims for the period exceeded RM200,000.

Of the 14 parliamentarians named in the list, seven are from BN, four from PAS, two from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) and one from DAP. The ACA has started a probe on the 14 for making 'excessive' claims on allowances

Marginalisation of parliament

Meanwhile, Lim also raised issue with the Dewan Rakyat's refusal to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, whose responsibility it is to deal with all cases of breach of parliamentary privileges.

"I deplore the continued marginalisation of parliament in the Malaysian scheme of things...The Committee of Privileges had not met a single time since its establishment in the past three years and ten months," he said.

Lim justified his objections by expressing doubt over the ACA's impartiality.

"I have strong reservations as to whether the ACA could be professional, independent and impartial in its investigations as it has a record of playing the 'political game'," he said.

He reiterated his proposal for the Dewan Rakyat to set up a five-man Claims Inquiry Committee with assistance from the ACA to conduct public hearings on this issue.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamed Zahir Ismail said yesterday that the ACA was the appropriate body to investigate the MPs since the claims were made when the House was not in session.

He said the Committee of Privileges could only look into matters that occurred in the House like cases of indiscipline.