PUTRAJAYA, Aug 18 – DAP has called for equal Constituency Development Funds (CDF) to be provided to all Members of Parliament, in line with Pakatan Harapan’s election pledge.
National Chairman the party had conveyed the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim numerous times.
“We hope he takes the necessary steps to implement this as soon as possible. Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto expressly commits to providing equal development allocations to all MPs across the board,” he said in a statement today.
Gobind said the principle was based on the view that withholding equal funding undermined the democratic mandate of elected representatives, adding that voters in any constituency should not be placed at a disadvantage merely because of their political choices or affiliations.
He also commended the Prime Minister for announcing additional direct funds to each parliamentary constituency.
“While this will indeed be most helpful, it does not resolve the core issue, which is the commitment to providing equal, non-discriminatory allocations to every MP,” he added.
Gobind also called for legislation to support equal allocations for all Members of Parliament.
He said legislation to institutionalise equal CDF allocations would remove political discretion from the process, ensure transparency and permanently protect the rights of voters nationwide.
“I therefore urge the Prime Minister to address the delay and move forward with first providing all MPs with equal allocations, and subsequently enacting legislation that permanently secures equal constituency allocations for every MP in Malaysia,” he said.