YOURSAY 'You must justify your pay increase, irrespective of your lack of personal wealth or Umno-BN's malfeasance.'

Selangor speaker defends salary, says no diamonds

Onyourtoes: Selangor assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh, I know you are popular and some of the things you said could be in jest. But please don't be cocky.

You must justify your pay increase, irrespective of your lack of personal wealth or Umno-BN's malfeasance.

It is possible for a person to earn a lot but remain poor. Does that justify him/her for even higher pay? If Umno politicians and their wives have diamonds, opulent homes and exotic holidays, do you want to be like them too?

That is my take on this issue. It is for us to defend you when Umno-BN attacks you unreasonably, but it is for you to explain to us whether the increase has been reasonable and justifiable.

Don't forget the assembly speaker and deputy speaker get salary and perks in addition to salary and allowance as assemblypersons. So please add everything up.

SusahKes: Hannah, if the deputy prime minister earns more than you, that's because he is the DPM. You are the state speaker, and whether we like the DPM or not, he has more responsibilities than you.

So you cannot compare his salary and yours - both of you have a very different job scope. Neither can you use the first lady's extravaganza as your rationale.

It is not just your husband alone who is uninvolved in state agencies, nor only your babies who play with toys - many Selangorians are in the same boat, or even worse.

While a salary increase has merit, a 268 percent hike appears a lot without the MB explaining to the rakyat whether you - as an assemblyperson - have performed well. That is for the rakyat to assess, not for you to tweet and sound like a twit. I expect more from you, YB Speaker.

Sorry, but I don't quite agree that getting a higher pay would wipe out corruption; certainly a low pay would entice one, but remember, the rich guys are especially not averse to greasing the palms or else how are they going get the multi-billion dollar contracts?

YF: Well said, Yeoh. You have given your all to the Selangor community and have brought dignity back to the state. Umno and their dark deeds no longer pollute the state with their corruption and unethical behaviour.

It's better to give money to an honest professional than a corrupt Umno politician.

When these Pakatan folks retire, do you think they will become directors of companies like Umno folks? No. They do not have a retirement plans.

These are honest hard working professional folks. So let's show them some appreciation instead of complaining.

Cuci-cuci: I think it's about time we follow Singapore's example. Pay the officials in accordance to what the professionals are paid in private sector. Pay them for what they would otherwise command commercially. Then, keep them clean.

What is the point of paying the MB a "starvation pay" and allowing him to help himself to the cookie jar. The MB's RM29,000 pay is less than what a marketing director commands in a MNC (multinational company).

I think, the MB is worth at least RM100,000 per month. Yeoh's RM22,000 is only a senior marketing manager's pay. Let's be real. They are worth far more than that.

Even for our prime minister - I believe it's far cheaper to pay him RM10 million a year for an honest to goodness job.

I am all for the ‘hefty' pay rise. They are entitled to a standard of living commensurate with their peers of equal standing in the private sector. But institute zero tolerance for corrupt practices.

FairGame: Remember the adage, 'Pay peanuts, and you get monkeys'? I truly support the pay hike, in view of the good governance that Pakatan Rakyat has done in running the Selangor state.

Furthermore, there will be less monkeying around with corruption when our elected representatives are well rewarded. Another important factor is they will not also be easily enticed to jump ship like those 'spineless' kataks .

Pputeh: To me, this pay rise is excessive and insane. A rise of 30 to 50 percent would have been in order for 2014. Based on the next two years' performance, another rise can be given in 2016. Why the meteoric rise?

You don't raise someone's income by 100 to 400 percent? Have these assemblypersons raised their performance by 300 percent? Please think of the rakyat and how we can be jolted by this rise?

Oriole: Elected reps are answerable to the people, so there must be proper accounting to the people when such increases in salaries are made.

After all, it is factors like arrogant non-disclosure and a lack of transparency that led to BN's losses. So avoid the need to be smart alecky and just provide us with a valid explanation.

And no, we do not want another Taib Mahmud or for our elected reps to have spouses like the PM's liability, so those should not be the yardstick by which PKR measures itself.

Third Eye: For those who earn their keep and serve the rakyat well without dipping their hands in the till should not be begrudged of pay increases.

Good public service has a price too and expecting good assembly representatives to serve well and make personal sacrifices without looking after their own families' welfare is being petty and unfair.

Hopefully, adequate compensation will attract more honest people as well as professionals to become assemblypersons in the future.

Headhunter: How come no one raise a pip when some of the CEOs of government-linked corporations (GLC) pay themselves millions a year even when their companies are losing their shirts?

Gradual pay hike and only if graft is kept at bay

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