Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced today that all ministers and deputy ministers will not take salaries for three months starting this June to help in the fight against the pandemic.
He said the salaries will be contributed to the Disaster Trust Account to finance expenses related to Covid-19 pandemic.
Muhyiddin said the ministers and deputies will give up three months of their salaries to show their support in the fight against the pandemic.
A petition was recently launched urging Muhyiddin, ministers, deputy ministers, MPs and state assemblymen to donate 50% of allowances to Tabung Prihatin.
It said the closure of Parliament and state assemblies due to the emergency hindered elected representatives from performing their democratic duties and competently administering to Malaysians’ needs during the pandemic.
The petition has garnered nearly 40,000 signatures so far.
Last year, when the movement control order first began, Cabinet members and their deputies gave up two months’ pay to the government’s Covid-19 fund.
Muhyiddin said as the country goes into lockdown, the closure of economic sectors will have a tremendous impact on the national economy and the lives of the people.
“I want to be frank that the government has very limited fiscal space to spend at the moment,” he said.
“However, on the basis of concern for the welfare of the people, the government will make every effort to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods, the need to protect lives, and ensure the well-being of the people, including the opportunity for Malaysians to earn a living for their loved ones during this period.”