PM Anwar promises to work for free until Malaysia recovers
Anwar Ibrahim has announced that he will not get paid a salary, both as prime minister and as finance minister.
Meanwhile, Anwar said, other ministers have also agreed to a 20% pay cut until the country’s economy recovers.
Rubbishing speculation that he will be paid as finance minister even though he has refused to be paid for the top job, Anwar said he will not be taking any wages from the government.
This was in line with the promise he made while campaigning for votes.
During the election campaign, Anwar had promised voters that he would not take a salary if he was elected as premier because people themselves were struggling to cope with rising costs.
“Some people say I’m not taking the prime minister’s salary because I’m the finance minister. That’s not true, there is only one salary,” he said, laughing off the claims.
The Members of Parliament Act only allows ministers, deputy ministers or political secretaries just one salary.
As for ministers’ pay cut, he said it was their way of acknowledging the tough times faced by the citizens.
“The pay cut will be implemented for as long as Malaysia continues to recover economically. It shows the ministers are also concerned about the livelihood of the public,” he said.
Asked if the pay cut would be carried out throughout the government’s five-year tenure, he simply said that it could range from three to five years, depending on the situation.
The Star
Asia News Network
