Run For Their Money: Unequal Constituency Development Funds in Malaysia
There is a human tendency to lash back after politicians emerge to become the victors, and as such deny funds to opponents in the same way they themselves were denied financially. In reality, this is not strategic, since PH-BN also occupies the positions of opposition in several states like Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Sabah.
Tricia Yeoh, Fulcrum
Malaysia should consider a Constituency Development Act which would lay out the roles and responsibilities for disbursing constituency development funds to MPs.
In July, Malaysian opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Syed Saddiq of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance hit the headlines for reportedly running 200km from Muar to Parliament to protest the lack of constituency development funding (CDFs) received. Six opposition MPs from the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) had made the strategic decision of signalling support for Anwar in exchange for constituency allocations. They were sacked from their party, and despite the Anti-Hopping Law, which involved amendments to the Federal Constitution, the six will remain in their seats with no by-election called.
The practice of offering CDFs only to government-aligned MPs, while denying them to opposition MPs, has existed since the Barisan Nasional (BN) era prior to 2018. This practice was slightly changed when Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over in 2018. PH, which had taken the reins of power from BN, pledged to provide government MPs RM500,000 annually and a concession of RM100,000 to opposition MPs (much smaller, but still something). PH MPs had actually received RM1 million annually in 2018, which increased to RM3.5 million in 2019, and which was maintained for 2020.
