Shocked by “obscene” rise in FGV chairman’s allowance to RM480,000, Kit Siang calls for a freeze in salary increases for GLCs, GLICs

Raising the annual allowance of FGV Holdings chairman from RM300,000 to RM480,000 and six board members from RM120,000 to RM150,000 will be “downright obscene” and indecent, says Lim Kit Siang.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 – Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang today did not mince his words, describing the approval for a rise in the annual allowance for a chairman of a government owned company, FGV Holdings, from the current RM300,000 to RM480,000 as “downright obscene” amid the prevailing economy in the country.

He called on the Cabinet, scheduled to meet next Wednesday, to issue a directive to freeze all increases of salaries and allowances of GLCs and GLICs until the country’s economy recovers.

He also suggested that GLC and GLIC nominees who violate the Cabinet directive be sacked.

The Cabinet directive should be presented to Parliament on July 18 for parliamentary sanction, he said in a statement issued today.

“Two days ago, Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob, announced that families who receive Keluarga Malaysia Aid (BKM) will get an extra RM100 while BKM recipients who are single will receive an additional RM50 in view of the rising cost of living, with chicken and egg prices expected to go up next month after the ceiling prices are abolished on July 1.

“But yesterday, the FGV Holdings Bhd that is 80 per cent owned by Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) held its annual general meeting and voted for the increase of the annual allowance of the FGV chairman to RM480,000 from RM300,000 – an increase of RM180,000 – and the increase of the annual allowance of the six Board directors to RM150,000 from RM120,000.

“This is not only most excessive in troubled economic times, but downright obscene, and must be smacked down by the Cabinet and Parliament.”

He also called on Malaysians to thank Deputy DAPSY leader and Pahang State Assemblywoman for Ketari, Young Shefura Othman for making such a shocking disclosure by the FGV Holdings Bhd AGM.

The Cabinet and Parliament must send out a strong and unmistakable message that this is the time for belt-tightening and not for extravagance and waste.

Kit Siang also suggested that the Chairman of FGV Holdings, Dato’ Dzulkifli Abd Wahab and the six Board members to help retrieve the situation by declaring that they would not accept the indecent increase in the allowances.

–WE