A total of 17 Pakatan Harapan (PH) state assemblymen in Negri Sembilan, including six who lost their seats in the last state election, along with two constituency coordinators, have been asked to return allocations received for July to September within a month.
Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim said the repayments were sought because the assemblymen and coordinators no longer held any functions following the dissolution of the state legislative assembly on June 5.
He said the allocations had been approved at a state executive council (exco) meeting on June 3 and channelled into their accounts the following day.
The allocations, which covered service centres and people’s well-being, were given to the assemblymen as well as the Paroi and Labu constituency coordinators.
Each assemblyman is required to return RM174,000, while each coordinator must return RM150,000.
“However, the Exco members at the time, including former Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, retained their ex-officio status until July 31 and were eligible to use the allocation for that month,” he told reporters after chairing an exco meeting here today.
Former exco members allowed to retain July allocation
Ismail said the former exco members had received a total of RM225,000 each in allocations for the three-month period.
However, they would only be required to return RM150,000 covering allocations for August and September.
He said his office would issue letters demanding the return of the allocations to all those involved soon.
New Indian community affairs coordinator appointed
Meanwhile, Ismail said the state government had agreed to appoint Rembau MIC division chief VS Mogan as coordinating officer for Indian community affairs, with exco-member status, effective Sept 1.
