PETALING JAYA: An MP has expressed disappointment that the 2027 budget did not include an announcement that the government would draft a bill to guarantee constituency allocations for all MPs, regardless of their political affiliation.
Debating the 2027 budget in the Dewan Rakyat, Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) said he remained concerned that there was “still no law or guidelines requiring constituency allocations to be given to all elected representatives”.
However, Syahredzan said allocations should not be equal across all constituencies, as this would be unfair given differences in constituency size and voter numbers.
“The reality is that some parliamentary constituencies are much larger than others. Giving every constituency the same amount would inevitably create unfairness,” he said.
In August, Wawasan vice-president Wan Saiful Wan Jan accused DAP of “putting on a show” with its renewed call for equal constituency allocations for all MPs.
Wan Saiful said the demand was good in principle but questioned why DAP had only raised it more than three years into the unity government’s term.
“This demand is a good thing. But it is only for show. If DAP were serious, why didn’t it demand this from the beginning?” he said in a Facebook post.
Wan Saiful’s remarks came after DAP chairman Gobind Singh Deo urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to provide equal allocations to all MPs and institutionalise the practice through legislation.
Gobind said DAP leaders had spoken to Anwar several times about Pakatan Harapan’s pledge to ensure equal allocations for MPs.