SHAH ALAM (Nov 25): Twelve Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen, all from Umno, have turned down a proposal from the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government to allocate RM200,000 annually to all opposition representatives in the state through Program Mesra Rakyat (people-friendly programmes).

Selangor opposition leader Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias said the 12 BN assemblymen is objecting to the proposal as the state's proposed allocation for BN representatives differs from that for Pakatan representatives.

"Obviously, this is a humiliation for us," he told a press conference at the state assembly's lobby today.

"We contested in the general election and were elected by the people. What makes them [Pakatan representatives] exclusive than us and get more money than us eventually," he questioned.

"We also doubt the reason why the state gives such an allocation to the state-appointed parliament and state constituency coordinators," he added.

Tabling Budget 2015 at the state assembly sitting yesterday, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali proposed to allocate RM200,000 annually to all opposition representatives in the state, who were previously given nothing. This comes together with a proposal to raise the annual allocation to RM700,000 from RM600,000 for Pakatan representatives and for state-appointed parliament coordinators to get RM100,000 per year.

Shamsudin said the parliament and state constituency coordinators should not be exist as every state constituency has already a representative taking care of it.

Nevertheless, Shamsudin said the 12 BN assemblymen "will consider" the proposal if the state were to also offer the same proposed allocation of RM700,000 annually as that to Pakatan representatives.

