KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Parliament’s approval of hefty salary increases for lawmakers even as Malaysians are struggling with high living costs shows the need for the country to come under a caliphate, Islamic group Hizbut Tahrir said today.
Noting that the hike was as high as 40 per cent for MPs, the local chapter of the hardline Islamist group derided the view that democracy protects public interest as just an illusion.
Instead, it said democracy is used to enact “cruel laws” under the guise of looking out for the welfare of its people.
“Where does the money to pay the MPs’ wages that are so high come from, if not from the people? Should such high wages be paid for them to go to Parliament to make laws that are cruel to the people, to close their eyes and to fulfill their parties’ wishes?” Hizbut Tahrir said.
“Therefore, are all these realities not enough to make Muslims realise, to leave this democratic system that is full of filth and blasphemy, and replace it with an Islamic system under the rule of a Caliphate?” asked the group, whose aim is to establish an Islamic state in Malaysia and a worldwide caliphate.
Hizbut Tahrir also criticised Malaysia’s democracy as being very “expensive”, claiming that this had forced many election candidates to join political parties that can afford to fund election campaigns.
It also accused these politicians of becoming beholden to the parties and party chiefs’ wishes.
“So will they bring the voice of the people who voted for them? Everyone knows the answer – no. What they bring is the party’s voice.
“What they bring is the party’s interest. What they obey is the party’s wishes. More specific, it is the voice, interest and wishes of the party chief!” the group said as it accused the MPs of doing so to safeguard their political careers.
In Malaysia, MPs typically toe the party line when voting or debating in Parliament, with a party whip to keep them in check.
Further expanding on the alleged failures of a democratic system, Hizbut Tahrir also rebuked elected lawmakers for a list of shortcomings including their absence in Parliament or their habit of nodding off during proceedings as well as their use of insults, rude words and jokes during debates.
It singled out PAS MPs for criticism over their low numbers during a crucial parliamentary vote on the new Prevention of Terrorism Bill (Pota), saying that the Islamist party had failed to live up to their proclaimed objective to advise secular rulers and speak out against cruelty.
Hizbut Tahrir’s newsletter comes just barely a month after the broad-based Goods and Service Tax (GST) came into effect in Malaysia.
On April 10, the Dewan Rakyat approved a new salary scheme for federal lawmakers that is expected to cost the federal government an additional expenditure of RM31,971,981.36 a year.
Under the scheme, the monthly salaries and allowances of MPs were bumped up to RM16,000 from the previous RM6,508.59 rate, while senators will get monthly sums of RM11,000 – nearly triple from the current RM4,112.79.
The monthly salaries of the Dewan Negara president and Dewan Rakyat speaker will go up to RM31,000, replacing the previous rate of RM14,907.20; while their deputy will will earn RM22,000 a month, more than double the current salary of RM10,847.65.
Putrajaya tabled the Bill after lawmakers from both sides of the divide called for a review of the initial proposal to review their salaries and allowances.
– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/citing-mp-pay-rise-islamist-group-says-time-for-malaysia-to-join-caliphate#sthash.uHCUYZgy.dpuf