RM1.14m each year for three gov’t advisers

An opposition MP has revealed that the government is paying a total of RM1.14 million each year to Petronas adviser Dr Mahathir Mohamad and two advisers to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
According to Zulkifli Noordin (PKR-Kulim Bandar Baru), Mahathir - who is also the ex-premier - is being paid RM180,000 per year while Abdullah’s advisers Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (women and social development affairs) and Abdul Hamid Othman (religious) received RM404,726 and RM549,675 respectively.

The figures were revealed in two separate parliamentary written replies to Zulkifli from the premier earlier this week.
Zulkifli disclosed the figures while interjecting Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) debate on the royal address this afternoon. Ahmad was highlighting the issue of poverty at the time.
“Why are we paying these three advisers who are not doing work? We could have distribute the money to the poor people to address the issue of poverty,” said the PKR MP.

tunku : they are doing work and need to pay them but the question here is why shahrizat and hamid othman receiving salary more than the ministers? tun mahathir receives 180k per year that means 15k a month which is reasonable for a man of his status and as a corporate advisor.shahrizat receives 404k a year (33.7k a month) and hamid othman 549k a year (45.8k a month).that is way too much a salary for an advisor.petronas a multibillion worth pays only 15k to its advisor but the government pays 33k to 45k to its advisors.