PUTRAJAYA should cut the salaries of high-income earners, including ministers and top civil servants, for funds to be distributed swiftly to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.  

The former prime minister is willing to have his government pension cut and said the same should be done for top wage-earners in the Perikatan Nasional government.  

“I have no problem. I actually want the government to cut the wages of those who are getting paid handsomely.

“There are those who do not even have food to eat. Can’t the government use the funds to help those people?” Dr Mahathir told The Malaysian Insight yesterday. 

The Pejuang chairman said two days ago he is willing to have his pension deducted by 10% but this must be followed by ministers and officials alike. 

This sentiment was echoed by several opposition lawmakers, including Parti Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal, who urged Putrajaya to slash allowances and reduce spending in these trying times. 

Dr Mahathir said the wage slash would mean immediate availability of funds, which can then be disbursed to front-liners and those affected by the pandemic. 

The Langkawi MP said even if the RM322.5 billion Budget 2021 was passed, it would take some time for money to be distributed to the people.

“Planning and making allocations is easy, but executing it is not. It usually takes a long time before an allocation can be approved. Sometimes getting permission will take months. 

“People will suffer while waiting for goodies that were promised. In times like this, we need to make it easier to channel funds.”

He also said the budget will not be spent in its entirety and there will be delays on what was promised to reach the people. 

“The government can plan to spend RM322.5 billion but I am confident not all will be spent. They will not start spending on January 1. There will be processes to follow and it will delay things while people are suffering.”

The two-time prime minister said he proposed a 10% pay cut for himself, ministers and their deputies as well as high-ranking civil servants when he was at the helm of the country’s administration.

The country was not even grappling with an economic downturn at the time the proposal was made, Dr Mahathir added. – November 12, 2020.