PUTRAJAYA: Let the Cabinet decide whether to cut the allowances for ministers and politicians, says Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
He added that any cost-saving measure was good and welcome.
“However, this matter involves ministers and their ministries, and I believe any implementation should be decided by Cabinet,” he said after attending the closing ceremony of the Putrajaya Lift Festival 2019.
Recently, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had proposed that the government cut the allowances of politicians and ministers, following the controversial decision to cut the critical service incentive payment (BIPK) for new doctors, nurses, engineers and other professionals joining the civil service from Jan 1.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali was also of the view that it wouldn’t be a problem to slash the allowances of ministers and politicians to support government efforts to better manage the country’s spending.
In a circular dated Dec 20, the Public Service Department (PSD) stated that the BIPK for civil servants in 33 critical services schemes would be abolished for new appointments from Jan 1.
However, Syed Saddiq said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had agreed to postpone the abolition of the BIPK, and the decision would be made only after the Cabinet meeting in January.