Earn RM25K A Month, Yet MPs Can Still Hold Other Jobs?
If you’re wondering whether it is legally permissible, the answer is yes.
- Malaysian MPs earn around RM25,000 monthly in fixed payments, yet no blanket rule prohibits them from holding outside jobs or business interests.
- MPs can retain outside employment provided their roles do not constitute constitutionally disqualified "offices of profit," according to former MP Yusmadi Yusoff.
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Malaysians holding two jobs are nothing new, particularly as many look for additional income to cope with the rising cost of living.
But what happens when one of those jobs is being a Member of Parliament?
An MP earns around RM25,000 a month in fixed payments before certain additional claims and allowances. Yet some lawmakers continue to maintain their professions or business interests while serving in Parliament.
So, why do they do it — and more importantly, are Malaysian MPs actually allowed to have another job?
How Much Does An MP Earn?
According to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, an MP earns around RM25,000 a month. He also broke down the figure during an interview on BFM last year, which you can watch here.
A Member of Parliament receives a basic monthly payment of RM16,000.
On top of this, MPs receive various fixed allowances, including entertainment, special and travelling allowances, bringing the fixed monthly payment to around RM25,700.
MPs can also receive additional payments depending on their parliamentary and official duties.
For example, they are entitled to RM400 for each day they attend a Parliament sitting and RM300 for attending certain official meetings, briefings, seminars and similar engagements.
This means an MP’s monthly remuneration can go beyond the fixed RM25,700, depending on the number of eligible claims made.
The remuneration and privileges of MPs are governed by the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980 and related statutory provisions.
So, Can An MP Have Another Job?
Yes — there is no blanket rule prohibiting MPs from having private-sector employment or business interests.
The Federal Constitution sets out circumstances in which a person is disqualified from being elected or sitting as an MP.
One of these involves holding an “office of profit”.
However, this does not mean every form of employment or business interest automatically disqualifies an MP.
MPs Can Hold Outside Jobs, But Ethics Must Be Considered, Says Former MP
Former Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff says there is no blanket constitutional prohibition preventing Members of Parliament from holding outside employment, provided the position does not fall within offices that are constitutionally disqualified.
In a nutshell, Yusmadi said backbenchers and Opposition MPs can retain jobs outside Parliament, provided those positions do not constitute salaried offices that are constitutionally prohibited.
Yusmadi, who is a lawyer himself, said the Federal Constitution provides restrictions on MPs holding certain positions of profit, but being an MP by itself does not automatically prevent someone from continuing their professional work.
He cited lawyers as an example, saying a lawyer who becomes a minister would face restrictions on continuing to practise, as the ministerial position falls under the relevant constitutional provisions.
“The Constitution provides for certain restrictions. For example, if a lawyer becomes a minister, he cannot continue practising as a lawyer because there is a constitutional restriction involving an office of profit,” Yusmadi told TRP.
According to Yusmadi, such matters have previously been examined from a constitutional perspective and should not necessarily be viewed as a legal issue as long as the position held by an MP does not breach the relevant provisions.
“Constitutionally, there is no issue as long as the position does not fall within those restrictions,” he said.
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