10% Cut To Minister’s Entertainment Perks Is A Joke

10% Cut To Minister’s Entertainment Perks Is A Joke

“Honey, do you love me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then why didn't you bring me to expensive places?”

“I did. Didn’t we go to one just last night?”

“No! We went to a hawker food stall yesterday. How could it be expensive?”

“Have you forgotten that we went to a petrol station and spent RM135 there after our dinner at the hawker food stall? Isn't it expensive enough?”

“....”

I need to solemnly declare that the above dialogue has been rewritten based on a local joke and if it sounds familiar, it is definitely not a coincidence.

This also shows that Malaysians still know how to find happiness in sufferings.

One of the government's anti-inflation measures would be to slash 10% of the ministers' and deputy ministers' entertainment allowances.

A friend called me early in the morning, saying that the ministers are so great to lead the people fight against inflation by sacrificing 10% of their entertainment allowances. Isn't it funny?

I think the government did it with a good intention. It knew that there was a dark cloud over the country, so it came out with some jokes to cheer the people up.

What is entertainment allowances? I believe many people are unfamiliar with it like me. Generally, it means expenditures for food and beverages to please others and make the bill payers proud.

The entertainment allowances is RM12,000 for ministers and RM6,000 for deputy ministers. The income for most of the families is in fact less than their entertainment allowances.

It is out of proportion to reduce 10% of entertainment allowances while fuel prices surge 41%.

Oops, almost forget that ministers and deputy ministers have other allowances like fuel allowances, vehicle allowances and travel allowances. Any type of allowances that comes to your mind might be included.

I bet that many ministers and deputy ministers have never touched any oil pump before and do not even know how to fill up petrol for their cars.

What injustice it is as their entertainment allowances have been slashed 10% because of the surge of petrol prices which is actually nothing to do with them!

In addition, they can no longer go shopping in Paris, see whales in Alaska and look at northern lights in Norway but only to go shopping in Bangkok, see monkeys in Manila and look at sunset in Bali. How pitiful!

Who asked them to raise fuel prices? (By TAY TIAN YAN/ Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily)