SHAH ALAM – Acting Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) President and Puteri Wangsa assemblyman Amira Aisya Abd Aziz has raised alarm over the deep financial strain faced by elected representatives, especially those in the opposition, due to what she describes as an “unjust and outdated” system of constituency allocations.
In a candid interview on Sinar Daily's Top News Live podcast, she revealed that she has had to dig into her personal salary just to keep her constituency office running.
“I have to use my own gaji (salary) to buy some of my stuff and figure out other ways to fund my office. And this is not just me, this is many other politicians out there,” she said.
Amira, who represents one of the largest state constituencies in Johor with over 120,000 voters, said the RM200,000 annual allocation she receives was grossly inadequate.
By comparison, she pointed out that state assemblymen in smaller constituencies with as few as 18,000 voters receive the same amount.
“My state seat is bigger than some parliamentary seats. So how is it fair that I get the same funding as someone with a fraction of my voters?” she said.
Amira painted a picture of overstretched offices with underpaid staff who are expected to be on-call at all hours, often fielding emergency requests from constituents late into the night.
“They deserve to be properly compensated for the work they do. Just because we love our job and serve willingly, doesn’t mean our staff should suffer. People come in with real issues and we want to help but we’re scraping just to keep the lights on," she said.
Amira acknowledged the resourceful methods some Member of Parliaments have used to fundraise, citing Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman as a prime example.
“Saddiq has always been very creative in how he fundraises. Many of us, especially younger politicians, see that as inspiring. But not all of us have the talent or the looks to be influencers,” she quipped.
What frustrates Amira most, however, was not just the limited funding but the politicisation of those funds.
She expressed deep concern over how constituency allocations were often dangled as political bargaining chips, especially when opposition representatives were excluded from receiving full support.
“Let’s be clear, this allocation is not for us, it’s for the rakyat (citizen).
“We’re not angry about being sidelined personally. But when the people in our constituencies suffer because of political games, that’s when it becomes unacceptable.”
She said those in power were weaponising allocations to pressure elected representatives into toeing certain political lines.
“If you want support, then you dangle the allocation. That’s not fair. This is supposed to be about governance, not manipulation,” she said.
Amira urged the federal and state governments to immediately review how constituency funds are distributed, calling for allocations that reflect the actual population size and needs of each area.
“It’s time we rethink the formula. Representation should be equitable. Constituencies with larger populations obviously require more resources to operate efficiently,” she said.
Until then, Amira said she and others in her position will continue to do the best they can with the little they have, even if it means funding public service out of their own pockets.
“We didn’t come into politics for glamour. But it’s exhausting to constantly have to choose between helping people and surviving the system.”
Under the current allocation model, both government and opposition representatives receive the same base funding but the ruling party often receives additional support via federal or state channels.
This has led to accusations of politically motivated funding disparities across the country.
Fellow comrade and Muda co-founder Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has been vocal about the unfair allocation, which, according to him, has "forced" him to enter the world of "influencer" - becoming a brand ambassador, as a strategy to fund his constituency, Muar.
The former youth and sports minister had previously criticised the government for unequal distribution of parliamentary funds, stating that government MPs received RM4 million each while opposition MPs like himself received none.
Syed Saddiq has been collaborating with singer and actress Bella Astillah on various campaigns starting as models for traditional Malay fashion apparel for Hari Raya this year, which has catapulted his popularity and has improved his image among the mass.
Amira jokingly said "Not everyone has the look to be a model to fund their constituency" but she was definitely open to the idea and welcomed any brands that wanted to collaborate with her.