Extra funds are normal, say BN MPs
Joseph Sipalan and Kow Gah ChiePublished: Sep 5, 2011 11:26 AM | Updated: Sep 5, 2011 11:53 AM
BN Members of Parliament today brushed aside claims the federal government is funnelling millions of ringgit into their constituencies in a bid to boost support ahead of an impending general election.
BN Members of Parliament today brushed aside claims the federal government is funnelling millions of ringgit into their constituencies in a bid to boost support ahead of an impending general election.
The extra funds provided to them are a "normal" practice, ruling coalition MPs from around the country contacted by Malaysiakini said.
It is common for the government to top-up their annual MP allocations for their constituencies, which they said was not nearly enough to cover development expenditures in their areas.
By convention, annual development funds of RM1 million are issued to each of the 222 MPs elected into the august House, but the opposition has long complained that its MPs have been deprived of the funds, which can only be disbursed through government-approved projects in their constituencies.
The government's decision to release extra funds this time around has further riled the opposition, which pounced on a recent Sin Chew Daily report that claimed money is being pumped into "white" and "grey" seats - where BN has either a strong or marginal chance of winning - while "black" seats, or areas the BN feels it has no chance of winning, will get nothing.
The Chinese daily also alleged that the quantum of funds funnelled to each constituency would be within a range of RM500,000 to RM2.5 million, based on an upward scale of winnability.
Pandan MP and former MCA president Ong Tee Keat (right) acknowledged that he had recently received extra funds for his constituency, though he pointed out that it is "not unique or peculiar", with the government having topped-up allocations to its MPs several times before in previous years.
"The quantum depends on the projects planned for the areas. For sure, there are extra funds, which are for development projects. Even last year, even before the 2008 tsunami, we have had this (extra allocations)," Ong said when contacted.
Umno's Kota Belud MP, Abdul Rahman Dahlan swatted aside claims of a "political gradient" to measure the amount of extra funds to be disbursed to each constituency, saying the quantum was based on the developmental needs of each seat.
"I don't deny there are extra allocations, but it is in response to what the BN MPs have been saying all along, that there is not enough money (for development)," Rahman said.
More goes to Sabah, Sarawak
He explained that in Sabah, the funds - issued under the Prime Minister's allocation through the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU) - are not handed to the MPs but are managed by the Sabah Development office (SDO).
He said MPs and the state assemblypersons were required to form committees, with heads of local government departments and agencies in their constituencies, to go through project proposals and forward them to the SDO.
However, unlike regular applications for projects, those who propose to carry out projects with the extra funds would only need to go through the committee first and later claim for payment from the SDO if successful, greatly cutting own red tape, Rahman added.
"The good thing about this allocation is that the bureaucracy is not so daunting. In the normal process, you are required to send in your applications to the relevant departments first, and then there are so many steps it can be overwhelming."
Rahman estimated that parliamentary constituencies in Sabah and Sarawak would get between RM2 and RM2.5 million each, due to the expansive land areas and lack of development compared with the peninsula.
Putatan MP and Upko treasurer-general Marcus Mojigoh said the extra funds have been coming in due to "a lot of pressure" from grassroots supporters demanding for more projects, particularly for the welfare of the underprivileged in his constituency.
Mojigoh complained that while his constituency has so far received "several hundred thousand" ringgit worth of approved projects, it was nowhere close to what his constituency needed.
"For my constituency, I requested projects worth a total of RM10 million, but so far I only received a few hundred thousand (ringgit worth of projects). This has not made the people happy... it's only a token sum," he said.
The extra funds provided to them are a "normal" practice, ruling coalition MPs from around the country contacted by Malaysiakini said.
It is common for the government to top-up their annual MP allocations for their constituencies, which they said was not nearly enough to cover development expenditures in their areas.
By convention, annual development funds of RM1 million are issued to each of the 222 MPs elected into the august House, but the opposition has long complained that its MPs have been deprived of the funds, which can only be disbursed through government-approved projects in their constituencies.
The government's decision to release extra funds this time around has further riled the opposition, which pounced on a recent Sin Chew Daily report that claimed money is being pumped into "white" and "grey" seats - where BN has either a strong or marginal chance of winning - while "black" seats, or areas the BN feels it has no chance of winning, will get nothing.
The Chinese daily also alleged that the quantum of funds funnelled to each constituency would be within a range of RM500,000 to RM2.5 million, based on an upward scale of winnability.Pandan MP and former MCA president Ong Tee Keat (right) acknowledged that he had recently received extra funds for his constituency, though he pointed out that it is "not unique or peculiar", with the government having topped-up allocations to its MPs several times before in previous years.
"The quantum depends on the projects planned for the areas. For sure, there are extra funds, which are for development projects. Even last year, even before the 2008 tsunami, we have had this (extra allocations)," Ong said when contacted.
Umno's Kota Belud MP, Abdul Rahman Dahlan swatted aside claims of a "political gradient" to measure the amount of extra funds to be disbursed to each constituency, saying the quantum was based on the developmental needs of each seat.
"I don't deny there are extra allocations, but it is in response to what the BN MPs have been saying all along, that there is not enough money (for development)," Rahman said.
More goes to Sabah, Sarawak
He explained that in Sabah, the funds - issued under the Prime Minister's allocation through the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU) - are not handed to the MPs but are managed by the Sabah Development office (SDO).
He said MPs and the state assemblypersons were required to form committees, with heads of local government departments and agencies in their constituencies, to go through project proposals and forward them to the SDO.
However, unlike regular applications for projects, those who propose to carry out projects with the extra funds would only need to go through the committee first and later claim for payment from the SDO if successful, greatly cutting own red tape, Rahman added.
"The good thing about this allocation is that the bureaucracy is not so daunting. In the normal process, you are required to send in your applications to the relevant departments first, and then there are so many steps it can be overwhelming."
Rahman estimated that parliamentary constituencies in Sabah and Sarawak would get between RM2 and RM2.5 million each, due to the expansive land areas and lack of development compared with the peninsula.
Putatan MP and Upko treasurer-general Marcus Mojigoh said the extra funds have been coming in due to "a lot of pressure" from grassroots supporters demanding for more projects, particularly for the welfare of the underprivileged in his constituency.
Mojigoh complained that while his constituency has so far received "several hundred thousand" ringgit worth of approved projects, it was nowhere close to what his constituency needed.
"For my constituency, I requested projects worth a total of RM10 million, but so far I only received a few hundred thousand (ringgit worth of projects). This has not made the people happy... it's only a token sum," he said.
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