KUALA LUMPUR: The government, through Parliament, should implement a system requiring all politicians to disclose their net income, including base salary and all allowances.
Muar member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman told Utusan Malaysia that such transparency would allow the people to see for themselves, each leader's earnings, similar to practices in Indonesia and the United States.
At present, he said, politicians only disclose their basic salary, which he viewed as misleading and an attempt to obscure their true income.
Citing a chief minister, Syed Saddiq said the allowances can be three times their basic salary, reaching between RM50,000 and RM80,000.
"This does not even account for additional allowances such as those for crockery or renovations. All of these should be made public.
"Although the basic salary might be RM19,000, the total compensation can exceed RM100,000. This is why Malaysia needs a more transparent system.
"We need fairness and cannot rely solely on basic salaries for comparison. It is both unfair and intellectually dishonest," he told the Malay daily.
Previously, Syed Saddiq disclosed that his monthly salary was RM55,000, excluding other allowances.
As a minister, he also received an annual vacation allocation of RM80,000, along with RM50,000 for crockery allowances and received a plot of land subsidy in Putrajaya.
Additionally, he was eligible for two approved permits (AP) for luxury cars, and after 22 months of service, he received RM180,000.
According to the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980, the monthly salary of an MP, including allowances, can reach RM25,700.
Syed Saddiq said the disclosure should be not only at the federal level but also at the state level.
He said there are many MPs holding positions in statutory bodies and government-linked companies, where salaries are significantly higher, but this information is not publicly known.
Syed Saddiq said the matter should be disclosed, with future measures should aim to reduce the financial burden on the nation.
He also proposed that politicians should follow the same approach if the government agrees to make new hiring of civil servants non-pensionable.
He said he previously proposed the matter in the Dewan Rakyat through a Private Member's Bill, but it was rejected.