PUTRAJAYA will continue to deduct ministers’ salaries until Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad decides otherwise, said Lim Guan Eng.

The finance minister said the 10% deduction will go straight to the government’s coffers.

“Ask the prime minister, but I have no other instructions so far. Unless (instructions) received, the salaries of ministers will still be cut,” Lim told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

In May, the cabinet agreed to reduce ministers’ salaries by 10% to reduce government expenses.

Meanwhile, Lim said there was no reason to calibrate the 2019 budget despite there being uncertainty over global oil prices.

“At the moment, no. The government has to look at the pros and cons,” he said.

The Bagan MP said that even if oil prices drop drastically, Malaysia will stand to benefit as Putrajaya will not have to cough up a lot on fuel subsidies.

“It also benefits us as we don’t have to give too much to petrol subsidies. So there are both positives and negatives. You have to look at it in total,” Lim said.

He was responding to former prime minister Najib Razak who said the government should recalibrate the budget if the price of crude oil continues to drop.

The former Umno president also slammed the new government on Moody’s Investors Service’s decision to downgrade Petronas’ outlook.

Lim shot back at Najib saying Petronas was not affected by the downgrade.

“What the opposition and former prime minister are saying is untrue. There has been no downgrade of Petronas ratings.

“(With you being) a former finance minister who has presented nine budgets, I find it disappointing if you cannot differentiate between a ratings downgrade and what is only an outlook change,” he said. – November 14, 2018.