‘Sama rata belum tentu adil’, Syahredzan mahu peruntukan ikut jumlah pengundi

Syahredzan Johan, a Bangi MP from DAP, argued that equal funding for MPs is not necessarily fair because not all parliamentary areas are the same. In a Facebook post, the Penang politician explained that a principle of fairness in funding distribution should be combined with a differentiated approach based on the number of voters, in addition to considering each area's special circumstances.

He cited Bangi's constituency, which had over 300,000 voters in 2022, roughly three times the national average for a parliamentary area, in addition to housing more than 700,000 residents. "An MP from Bangi must practically serve 700,000 residents, not just 300,000, as they cannot discriminate or differentiate between voters and non-voters in the area," he said in a statement.

Johan pointed out that the difference in area size is also noticeable when compared to nearby parliamentary areas. He noted that Hulu Langat had approximately 160,000 voters, Puchong around 150,000, and Putrajaya only 42,000. "However, equal funding is not necessarily fair. This is because not all parliamentary areas are the same," he said.

According to him, any legislation related to parliamentary area funding must ensure fairness in access to funds, in addition to ensuring that the number of funds allocated is fair according to the scale of the area. He also suggested taking into account the location factor in determining funding for service centers and staff salaries, particularly because operating costs are significantly higher in some distant areas.

Regarding development funding, he pointed out that the needs of urban and rural areas need to be distinguished as rural areas usually require more infrastructure projects. "But, there needs to be a law to standardize financial funding distribution for all MPs regardless of political allegiance," he said. However, he added, such legislation is not only needed to ensure access to funds, but also to ensure that funding is distributed fairly and differentiated according to the number of voters and taking into account the special circumstances of each area.

"This is not for MPs who come and go, but to ensure fairness for voters, especially in mega-sized parliamentary areas like Bangi," he said. Earlier today, DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo said his party had repeatedly conveyed to the prime minister the promise of Pakatan Harapan to ensure all MPs receive equal funding. He said a law mandating equal funding for all MPs would eliminate any political favoritism in the distribution of development funding and protect voter rights.