HAVING tabled a deficit budget for 2024 last Friday during the State Legislative Assembly sitting, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said it is not appropriate to consider a review of the chief minister’s salary when the focus should be on the well-being of the rakyat and the state.
With an expected state revenue of RM533.07 million and expenditure of RM1.047 billion, the state’s 2024 Budget was projected to record a deficit of RM514.53 million.
Chow (PH – Padang Kota) was responding to a supplementary question by Zulkefli Bakar (PN – Penanti) regarding the possibility of the state government reviewing the salaries of not only the chief minister and state executive councillors, but also the other assemblymen and staff at service centres.
“Since we just tabled a deficit budget, it is very unpopular to raise the topic of reviewing salaries because we need to prioritise the needs of the people first.
“The people are well-informed about the deficit budget, and I don’t think this is the right time to talk about this topic.
“Imagine having a deficit budget on one hand and the topic about reviewing salaries on the other. The people will not be happy about it.
“We have to focus on implementing all the strategies we have lined up under this budget to ensure that the people’s welfare is protected, as well as for the development of the state as a whole,” Chow said.
Earlier, Wong Yuee Harng (PH – Pengkalan Kota) raised a question on the current chief minister and state excos’ salaries and the last time they were reviewed.
To this, Chow responded by saying that the chief minister’s salary, which was last reviewed some 20 years ago, stood at RM14,000, while the excos’ salaries, reviewed 10 years ago, were at RM12,000 each.
However, Chow emphasised the figures mentioned were not the exact ones as he was not sure about the last three digits in the packages offered.
“While the excos’ salaries were reviewed 10 years ago, the chief minister’s package was retained,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chow said there were no plans to introduce a ‘former chief ministers’ enactment as there were no intentions to alter the current Code of Conduct of the Penang government.
Responding to a supplementary question by Lee Khai Loon (PH – Machang Bubok), Chow said former chief ministers should give their full support to the current government through the framework of democracy.
“This includes respecting all the decisions, vision and mission of the current government for the benefit of the people and the state of Penang.
“The Penang government practices openness in receiving criticisms and other forms of remarks as long as it’s done through the right channels,” Chow said.
Chow, who is now serving his second term as the chief minister, however, stressed that any form of interference and influencing decisions of the state government must be avoided to ensure that it doesn’t halt and impact the state’s plans and strategies.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat and Darwina Mohd Daud