AHMAD Faizal Azumu will return the RM27,000 he received as the special adviser to former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Mingguan Malaysia reported.

According to the Malay weekly, Faizal informed Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali on the day Muhyiddin resigned as prime minister on August 16 and wanted the money donated to the Covid-19 fund. 

“I agree with them (who raised the issue of salary), because I have not provided much service yet, but received a full salary of RM27,000, prorated, maybe more,” he was quoted as saying in the report. 

“I intend to give the entire sum to the Covid-19 fund.”  

The Bersatu deputy president said he was not discouraged by or angry with those who questioned the income he received from that appointment. 

“Sorry, to those who criticised, I forgive; if I’ve made a mistake, I apologise,” he said.

“They are not wrong, and I agree with those who raised the matter.”

Faizal was appointed Muhyiddin’s special adviser for networking, community communication and socioeconomic development affairs on August 1.

DAP lawmaker Lim Lip Eng last week raised the matter in his question to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in the Dewan Rakyat, asking Faizal’s total income and actual duties for the short stint. 

“As his period of service was short (less than a month), his monthly salary of RM27,227.20 was paid prorata as well as a replacement notice of termination of service of a month’s salary,” Ismail said in a written reply on September 14.

“This does not involve the payment of pension.”  

Ismail said Faizal was given the task of advising the prime minister on matters related to community communication. 

“He was responsible for establishing close cooperation between the government and community leaders as well as increasing the people’s understanding of government policies through effective communication channels and improving the government’s delivery system in terms of socioeconomic development of the people,” he said.

Faizal is now the youth and sports minister. – September 19, 2021.