“I won’t be taking my salary if I become the Prime Minister.”
6 months into his tenure as Malaysia’s 10th PM, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim is still not taking his salary, as promised even before GE15. It’s a good thing to have a leader that keeps his promises but can we really expect someone to work pro bono for the rest of his life?
That actually depends on the country’s economic situation. As for how long Anwar will not be taking his salary as PM, he said that he will only start receiving his monthly wages when the country’s economy recovers.
“I haven’t taken my salary for 6 months, and as long as the economy does not recover, I will not be taking my salary,” Anwar said.
Anwar spoke about this matter yesterday (12 June) at Selangor Jubilee Stadium in Shah Alam where he attended the special assembly of Selangor civil servants, as reported by Oriental Daily.
Malaysia & Indonesia on abolishing subsidies
During the assembly, Anwar explained how Malaysia and Indonesia differ in terms of subsidies’ abolishments to promote economic recovery.
“Compared with Malaysia’s economy, Indonesia’s economic development has been relatively slow in the past.”
In Malaysia, Anwar recently ended the subsidies for the rich, while in Indonesia, the government has cancelled the electricity subsidies for everyone. As a PM, Anwar could’ve simply followed suit, which he obviously has not. However, for the sake of cutting the people’s burdens, he assured the people that he won’t be doing so.
“Indonesian government’s approach will greatly reduce the expenditures and attract foreign investment. But I won’t do so, I don’t want to increase people’s burden.”
The PM also posted a series of images of him in the Stadium on his FB account last night.
Do you think it’s a good sign that the PM is not taking his salary in an effort to help ease the burden of the people? How long do you think until the economy recovers, for the greater good of everyone?
