KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim foregoing his salary and Cabinet members’ wage cut by 20 per cent resulted in savings of some RM100,000 per month, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali told the Parliament.

In a written reply cited by Malaysiakini, the Sabah, Sarawak affairs and special duties minister said that the savings come up to RM1.2 million a year after all Cabinet members had agreed to take a pay cut of 20 per cent a month until the economy recovers.

"As soon as the new government was formed, the unity government had taken early steps of saving by not taking a salary as prime minister as announced by the prime minister himself,” he was quoted saying.

"In addition, the Cabinet has also agreed to accept deductions of 20 per cent from their basic salary every month out of concern for the people until the country’s economy recovers,” said Armizan in the reply.

He was responding to a question by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman who asked how much the government is saving from the ministers’ pay cut.

Anwar had before the 15th general election promised that if was elected to office, he would not take a salary, and would also make his Cabinet take a pay cut to help ease the public burden.

When he was sworn in as prime minister on November 24 last year, he stuck to his word that he would not be taking a salary as prime minister or finance minister.