Parlimen: I questioned MOFA how Jamaluddin Jarjis can be our Ambassador to USA based in Washington DC and yet accept MP Rompin salary same time?

I believe that in the past, all politicians who have ever been appointed into diplomatic positions relinquished their political offices in Malaysia. However, in the case of our current Ambassador to the USA, Jamaluddin Jarjis, he is still accepting his Rompin MP salary and allowance. He accepts two salaries and yet he is hardly present in Parlimen or even in the country. It is obvious, he cannot perform his duties as an elected representative. I think this is very unfair to his constituents who voted him in.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affair’s written answer to my Parlimen question, Jamaluddin Jarjis can do both jobs by using new communication technologies like internet. However, the time difference between Washington DC where he is based is 12 hours behind Malaysia! How can Rompin using the Internet or teleconferencing or whatever new technology to personally attend to and address the concerns and challenges faced by his constituents like flooding and fire when the time difference is so prohibitive?

Furthermore, while Jamaluddin Jarjis may be have access to these fantastic new communication technologies in our embassy and in Washington DC, the people of Rompin certainly do not have easy or affordable access to it to be able to reach their elected MP living on the other side of the world.

I urge Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make Rompin resign from his MP role so that a new committed, dedicated new elected MP, based on the ground in Malaysia can takeover the position and serve the people of Rompin the way they deserve to be served.