The Sun : Penang to provide allowance for state opposition leader

Penang is introducing a legislation to officially recognise the leader of the Opposition in the state assembly with a monthly allowance.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will table a bill in the State Assembly tomorrow to amend the Members of the Administration and the Legislative Assembly (Remuneration) Enactment 1980 for the Leader of the Opposition to be given a monthly allowance of RM1,000.

"We are doing what should have been done 50 years ago," Lim told a press conference at his office today.

"Without the Opposition’s constructive and effective role, there can be no democracy."

The current de facto head of the Opposition is Datuk Azhar Ibrahim, the Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblyman for Penaga, who is also a former state executive councillor and Seberang Perai Municipal Council president .

Azhar is also the chairman of the Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda), a federal agency under the Implementation and Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department.

Lim said the move is part of the Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) pre-election promise to have a government that is more people-centric.

Datuk Azhar Ibrahim

"Although we know the BN has never done such a thing in Penang or any other state, but has instead treated the Opposition badly, we will implement it as this is a principle of democracy," he said.

"PR wants to hear voices that are differing because in a democracy, the people should be free to speak and think."

Present was state executive councillor and Sungai Puyu assemblyman Phee Boon Poh, who was the sole opposition assemblyman from 2004 to 2008.

He said that although he was not given such an allowance or recognition during his time, he had no problem with a BN assemblyman holding the opposition leader's post.

"We are willing to respect their position to make constructive criticism that can lead to the betterment of the people in Penang," he said.