Batu MP P. Prabakaran allegedly '...has spent the lion’s share of the RM1.5 million allocated but the grassroots are questioning how he had dished out the funds....“In just a few months, he has spent almost all the money and from what we know, there is just some RM20,000 left. For three months, he was working with us (PKR) but then he went solo. “We were told that he gave money to mosques and schools but is that true? Is there proof?” said the PKR member who wanted to remain anonymous...'
This is a question that we must be asking all our MPs, even the BN MPs of past - what happened to the allocations they received from the government? Where is the accounts? Why is it not made public and also audited by the Auditor General...
MPs already get a salary of RM16,000, and plus their various other allowances and 'benefits' may bring their monthly income to maybe about RM30,000 or more. Then, government party MPs gets even more .....
Peoples' Money - Was there 'kleptocracy' and abuses on monies MPs get? RM5 mil? RM1.5 mil? Should MACC investigate?
People's money are given as 'allocations' to our Members of Parliament (maybe also Senators and ADUNs) - but not everyone gets the same - before only the Barisan Nasional MPs - now apparently only the Pakatan Harapan MPs? this is certainly UNDEMOCRATIC and discriminatory. Why are Malaysians who exercised their rights to choose their peoples' representative being discriminated?
According to Prabakharan's office, .... '...“Some 39 schools received funding as much as RM10,000 to RM13,000 each. This does not include money given to the poor in the area and some development work for the constituency,” the source, who declined to be named, told The Malaysian Insight.The source added that the funds were given to the MP by the federal government in February with the condition it must be used by September...."
39 schools - why these schools not all schools? Is it schools in areas that voted for him...did schools that voted for another given any funds?
Why is Prabakharan giving money to schools in the first place - surely monies needed by schools should be coming from the Education Ministry - who has money allocated by government for upkeep and maintenance of schools...MPs maybe should highlight 'needs' of schools to the relevant Ministry who is responsible.
Prabakharan receives money from the Federal Government and then pays back to the Federal government for a particular school? Can schools receive monies from MPs? Or really, was this money given to maybe the Parent Teacher association...or the Alumni ...not to the schools? Was it to pay for food/drink for some function of these associations - not really to help the school or the students?
Can schools who did not get the money, for surely there may be more than 39 schools in Batu area, now sue this MP for discrimination?
Some schools are 100% assisted by government - some are partially assisted? Did he help these partially assisted schools, who had difficulty generating monies to survive? Should he not fight for 100% assistance for all schools?
He helped the poor - is that not the responsibility of the government - the Welfare Department?
For an effective flow of monies to assist the poor, the needy...when MPs are using money to assist, it IMPACTS the question of responsibility and even the flow of assistance. Would some of these Ministries, Department or Local Council simply not do what they ought to be doing because they take the position the MP will be looking into that area? That is why I believe that MPs should not use 'federal government allocations' to 'cover-up' failings of responsible bodies of government..
MPs need additional money to be a better MP - they need office space(service centres) - they need assistance in the form of staff - research assistants who will help prepare the MP for Parliament - who will study Bills and other issues, brief MPs and help them understand issues and raise relevant points of arguments...prepare good parliamentary questions, good interventions in Parliament, media statements, maintain their websites, organise consultation sessions, etc...For this, it is best that the monies directly flow from government to pay for staff(who maybe should be temporary civil servants or parliamentarisn employees, where the law should also fix salaries and allowances)..
If the Federal government wants to give additional allocations to MPs, it must be for ALL MPs, and maybe it should match the number of constituents - say RM1 per constituent per month, whereby this money should be used just for parliamentary activities...including consultations, town hall sessions,...
If an MP wants to DONATE money to someone or some cause, then use YOUR OWN money - after all,your monthly income is RM16-30K....ordinary people use their own money to donate..and most earn so much less...
By the way, an MP main duty is to represent people in Parliament - how many days/hours have Prabakharan been in Parliament...how many questions has he raised...how many interventions have he made...?
What kind of MP is Prabakaran? A people empowering MP or an MP that creates 'dependency' - i.e. any problem, I will solve > as opposed to any problem, WE will solve together...What we need are MPs that empower people with knowledge and know-how, who will be able to solve problems affecting themselves and their community together...During the BN era, the culture was 'not empowering'...people were givn the impression that without the support of the MP, they cannot achieve anything....leave it to the MP, I will solve the problem...[Even workers who had their rights violated believed that without a 'support letter' from the MP, they will not get justice ...which is not at all true..So, what kind of MP is Prabakaran?
MP decides on laws and policies - What is our Batu MP's position on SOSMA? Detention Without Trial? Death Penalty? UEC? Censorship of Netflix? Police or other permits during campaigning period? University and University Colleges Act? Local Council Elections? - has he issued any media statements or statements or is he simply a 'welfare officer'?
A young MP he is - so, he is not tainted by the bad practices or habits of past MPs - there is hope?
TIAN CHUA - a victim of a wrong decision of an EC officer? I wonder why Pakatan Harapan did not move the King to pardon Tian Chua and many others who have been sentenced, who are now barred by the nature of their sentences for offences related to freedom of expression and/or freedom of assembly, so that they can now contest to be MP or ADUNs - why only Anwar?
Maybe that disqualification if fined more than RM2,000 ought to be removed - maybe temporary disqualification should only be for those found guilty of corruption, kleptocracy, abuse of power or serious crimes like rape, murder or crimes that resulted in injury to person? PH government still not doing anything about this?
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS - Maybe the Deposits for contesting candidates must be reduced drastically - as it now makes it difficult for the poorer Malaysians to contest elections ...remember our Minimum Wage is RM1,100 > why should a minimum wage worker not be able to contest in elections - now MONEY is the bar...
PKR has a bad history of asking sitting MPs to step down - this happened in Port Dickson...and before in Kajang? Remember, Anwar when he contested did not even receive the same number of votes that the MP of choice before had obtained.
Tian Chua was a good MP - maybe in the next by-election in KL or Selangor or...he should be named the candidate.
After calls to step down, Batu MP faces questions on allocation
FRESH after calls for him to vacate his
parliamentary seat, PKR’s Batu MP P. Prabakaran is facing fresh
controversy as questions are now being raised on how he had spent the
allocation given to his constituency.
Prabakaran has spent the lion’s share of the RM1.5 million allocated
but the grassroots are questioning how he had dished out the funds.
A PKR grassroots member told The Malaysian Insight the Batu chapter has reservations about the way the money was disbursed.
“In just a few months, he has spent almost all the
money and from what we know, there is just some RM20,000 left. For three
months, he was working with us (PKR) but then he went solo.
“We were told that he gave money to mosques and schools but is that
true? Is there proof?” said the PKR member who wanted to remain
anonymous.
The Malaysian Insight is currently awaiting comments from Prabakaran.
A source from Prabakaran’s office confirmed the figure but claimed the money was spent on the development of Batu.
“Some 39 schools received funding as much as RM10,000 to RM13,000
each. This does not include money given to the poor in the area and some
development work for the constituency,” the source, who declined to be
named, told The Malaysian Insight.
The source added that the funds were given to the MP by the federal
government in February with the condition it must be used by September.
“It will be audited. It has all been accounted for,” he said, dismissing any possibility of abuse of funds.
Checks on Facebook showed Prabakaran actively distributing the funds for his constituency.
PKR strategy director Fahmi Fadzil said Prabakaran is a committed lawmaker.
“He is young but he is committed and knows the problem in his
area. He gets his hands dirty. He knows the problems faced by the
people,” said the Lembah Pantai MP.
On November 6, the high court ruled that former Batu MP Chua Tian
Chang, better known as Tian Chua, is eligible to contest in elections
and since then, many have urged Prabakaran to vacate the seat for his
predecessor who held the seat for two terms.
Justice Mariana Yahya, in her judgment, agreed with the decisions
made by the Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam high courts that the applicant
(Chua)’s eligibility and right to contest were not affected by a fine of RM2,000 imposed on him.
According to Mariana, an MP will only lose the right and eligibility to contest if the fine is RM2,001 and above.
Fourteen groups in Batu have urged Prabakaran to quit following the court verdict.
Prabakaran, meanwhile, has vowed to continue serving his constituents despite calls for him to quit.
“I take the calls from these groups in a positive manner, as they only want the best for PKR,” he said.
He denied facing pressure from Chua, who is also PKR vice-president, to step down.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said there is no need for Prabakaran to
relinquish his seat and make way for Chua, but was quick to add that the
issue was yet to be discussed by the party leadership.
“Prabakaran has a mandate from the people and we will have to respect that, while Tian Chua is an important party leader.
“This matter can be discussed within party channels, but it has not been raised yet,” Anwar said.
Anwar spoke to reporters hours after Prabakaran’s car was pelted with eggs by unknown individuals. Police are investigating the incident. – November 19, 2019.- Malaysian Insight
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