Monday, October 25, 2021

Syed Saddiq tells of perks he turned down as minister



Syed Saddiq tells of perks he turned down as minister


Former youth minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in an online video tonight in answer to a critic. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former youth minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. criticised for apparent silence over government wastage, spoke tonight about the perks he had rejected while in office.

He said he turned down two approved permits (AP) to import luxury cars when he was minister and also took a 10% pay cut.

He added that he rejected staying in a bungalow allocated for him as well as the option to purchase a plot of “luxurious” land in Putrajaya at a discounted price.

“When I was serving in the Cabinet, I was the first minister to declare my assets and practiced open tendering to ensure the best people were chosen (for projects), not cronies or family members.

“In 2019, I had already called for ministers’ allowances to be reviewed in defending the rights of civil servants,” he said in a minute-long video posted tonight in response to claims that he failed to talk about ministers’ exorbitant wages and allowances when he was in the Pakatan Harapan Cabinet.

A Twitter user, saying “Don’t practice double standards”, had questioned why Syed Saddiq had not raised a fuss about wastage in the government when he was in the Cabinet.

In 2019, Syed Saddiq, then Bersatu Youth chief, had disagreed with a decision by the Public Service Department to scrap an allowance for new civil servants, as part of cuts in future government spending.

He said the decision would affect the younger generation entering the public services the following year.

Syed Saddiq, who is MP for Muar, founded the new political party, Muda, after leaving Bersatu last year.


1 comment:

  1. What this young man revealed is that Malaysia is a land of honey but only for the elites.

    But good for him if indeed he spurned the perks he was entitled to.

    ReplyDelete