Tun M agrees to 10 per cent pension cut to help those who lost income

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is prepared for a 10 per cent cut of his pension provided it is used to reduce the burden of those who lose their source of income.

Dr Mahathir admitted that his life was not affected due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) and standard operating procedures (SOP) which had to be practiced.

He explained that a 10 per cent deduction from the salary should be implemented because it can reduce the gap between the lucky ones and those who were facing hardship.

"Every time I became the prime minister, my first motion was to cut my salary, the salary of the ministers and deputy ministers and also senior government officials by 10 per cent. There were no major economic problems at that time.

"Now salaries have increased many times. While many have lost their income, those who are salaried in the government have not experienced any shortage. Even in private companies there is no shortage of salaries.

"To reduce the gap between the lucky and the unlucky ones, a 10 per cent salary cut of those who are spared to give to the affected ones, is justified," he said in a media statement on Tuesday.

Dr Mahathir also stressed that he had agreed to the proposal to cut minister's salary.