KUANTAN: The Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah, has consented to forgo his royal allowances for six months from this month onwards to contribute to the Covid-19 fund.
Comptroller of the Royal Household for the Sultan of Pahang, Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman, in a statement, said Tengku Hassanal had agreed not to receive his royal allowance for six months starting this month till September, and contribute it to the Pahang Covid-19 fund.
“The Regent hopes that the assistance which has been proposed and agreed from the Pahang Covid-19 fund be distributed to the needy in the near future.
“He advised the people in Pahang to take care of their health and their respective families, and adhere to the Movement Control Order as instructed by the government.
"He prayed all the Covid-19 patients in Malaysia would recover soon and the frontliners be given strength and remain in good health to perform their duties," said the statement.
Yesterday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah decided to forgo their Royal Emoluments for six months beginning March.
Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin had said that the move was to ease the burden of the government in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, and also in line with the Cabinet's decision to cut the prime minister, ministers and deputy ministers' salaries for two months with the money to be channelled to the Covid-19 Fund.
Last week, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail along with 10 executive council members agreed to take a 10 per cent salary cut for three months between April and June to contribute to the Pahang Covid-19 fund.
This was followed by 29 Pahang state assemblymen who pledged 10 per cent of their monthly allowance between April and June to the Pahang Covid-19 fund.
Up to 10,000 civil servants in Pahang have also agreed to donate a portion of their salary to aid Malaysians whose livelihoods have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the MCO.