PKR's Wong Chen takes a break to ponder his future
Subang MP Wong Chen pictured at KLIA tonight before leaving with his family for a holiday in France. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Subang MP Wong Chen, a backbencher from PKR, said today he is taking a two-week break from work for a family holiday during which he will ponder his future in politics.
In a brief yet contemplative posting on Facebook, Wong said he will be in France for more than two weeks, and hopes to rest, spend time with his children, and also contemplate his political future.
The three-term MP also said he could not shake a sense of dread that the government led by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim would have little to show in terms of institutional reforms at the end of its parliamentary term.
'So much time (15 years) and effort have been spent getting into power, but now, I can't help but feel a deep worry that we have so little reforms to show. I know we can achieve more reforms, and the only way to do this is us MPs must push the government harder from the backbench,' said Wong.
Wong was aligned with former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli during the party's elections last month. He lost his seat on the PKR central leadership council, while Rafizi was defeated by Nurul Izzah Anwar and subsequently offered his resignation from the Cabinet.
In the lead up to the PKR elections, Wong had questioned the source of funds used to hold party events, pointing out that such events were not so lavish in the past.
He had also reportedly said at a forum that going into politics had come at a personal cost and that the allowance received by MPs was not sufficient as they also had to cover constituency costs.
According to published reports, backbench MPs may receive about RM27,500 in total allowances a month, while also supervising a constituency development allocation of RM1.7 million.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Focus Malaysia
11 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
Nurul Izzah admits hajj trip with hubby is self-funded after ‘backstabbing' by own PKR member
NEWLY-ELECTED PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar has cleared the air that her hajj trip to Makkah with her husband was 'entirely self-funded' after an allegedly supporter of the pro-Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli's faction accused her of splashing 'over RM200,000 per person' for her hajj expenses. This came about after numerous slanderous social media posts and messages were hurled at the former Permatang Pauh MP who had recently engaged in a bitter contest for the deputy president post in the PKR top central leadership poll amid cries of nepotism and favouritism. Aside from perhaps the privileged Mujamalah visa – an invitational or special visa issued by the Saudi Arabian government outside of the official quota – the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reasoned that logistical arrangements were managed by licensed travel agency, Mimm Travel. 'We travelled on commercial flights and used our own savings (to pay for accommodation and transportation),' Nurul Izzah penned on her Facebook page yesterday (June 8) evening. 'No private jet as falsely claimed. The journey was undertaken just like millions of other Hajj pilgrims.' Added the 44-year-old Nurul Izzah who married her ex-colleague Yin Shao Loong (now a Khazanah Research Institute senior research associate) on Aug 5, 2022 after her marriage with first husband Raja Ahmad Shahrir ended in divorce on Jan 16, 2015: 'While we may differ in opinions and compete in the political arena of this world, let us not allow worship to be used as material for slander and defamation. 'Let us pray for one another; may Allah SWT grant sustenance and opportunities to more Muslims to become His guests – in a state that is made easy with accepted deeds and kept far from human slander.: Earlier, pro-HIRUK (Rafizi's PKR poll campaign tagline) Malaysian Affairs 🇲🇾007 (@msianaffairs) had demanded to know what Nurul Izzah's income source was after having claimed that the cost of her hajj expenses with her husband could have exceeded RM400,000. Siapa yang bayar kos haji Nurul Izzah yang berharga lebih RM200,000 seorang? Apakah sumber pendapatan beliau? Kos 2 orang izzah dan suami sudah melangkaui RM400k Semua tahu dia tinggal di Dar Al Tawhid Intercontinental,the most luxurious hotel in Mekah@n_izzah @anwaribrahim — Malaysian Affairs 🇲🇾007 (@msianaffairs) June 7, 2025 'Everyone knows she stayed at Dar Al Tawhid Intercontinental, the most luxurious hotel in Mecca,' claimed the self-proclaimed anti-nepotism advocate. Despite being criticised for poking his nose on Nurul Izzah's private matters at a time when the couple needed the peace of mind to perform their pilgrimage solemnly and wholesomely, Malaysian Affairs 🇲🇾007 whose social media post has garnered 1M views at the time of writing seemed unremorseful in wanting to pin down the PKR president's daughter despite her clarification. 'Things can be done for damage control. You can change hotels in the middle of the trip. You don't need a miracle to do that 🤣,' added the keyboard warrior. – June 9, 2025


Free Malaysia Today
28 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
PM offers condolences, directs aid for UPSI students in bus-MPV crash
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the tragic incident should serve as a reminder about road safety. PETALING JAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died in a crash involving an MPV and a bus carrying students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris early this morning. 'Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims. We pray that you will be granted strength and resilience in facing this immense hardship,' Anwar said in a Facebook post. The prime minister also said he had instructed the higher education ministry to channel assistance to the families of the students involved. 'Heartbreaking tragedies like this, which occur far too often, must serve as a reminder to us all to always remain cautious and never rush to reach our destinations. Your lives are far too precious,' he said. Higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said in a Facebook post that the ministry was ready to give the necessary assistance. He said further updates would be provided in due course. Bernama reported that at least 15 people were killed in the collision which took place on the Gerik-Jeli East West Highway, near Tasik Banding. It is understood that the bus had been travelling from Jerteh, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak. A total of 48 victims were involved. Of these, 13 died at the scene and two at the hospital. Four others were injured. UPSI deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs and alumni) Norkhalid Salimin said most of the passengers on the bus were students returning to campus after the Aidiladha break. Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal called for a comprehensive investigation into the crash, including the drivers' qualifications, the condition of the vehicles, and their maintenance records. 'If negligence is found, action must be taken without compromise. Enough is enough. 'We cannot allow tragedy after tragedy to pass without learning from them. Their lives must not be reduced to mere statistics,' he said in a Facebook post.


Free Malaysia Today
30 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Decades later, Mahathir still stuck in a dilemma of his own
For young Malaysians unfamiliar with the nation's political history, here's a recap of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's obsession with his version of Malay supremacy. In 1970, a year after the May 13 racial riots that followed huge electoral losses for the ruling Umno-led Alliance, Mahathir authored 'The Malay Dilemma', essentially his manifesto outlining his political and racial beliefs. It examines and analyses the make-up of the Malays and the problem of racial harmony in Malaysia. The book claims that the tolerant and non-confrontational nature of the Malays led them to fall under the dominion of others, and that the government must correct Malaysian Chinese hegemony in business. The book was banned by the then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, who felt that it threatened racial harmony. As soon as Mahathir became prime minister in his first term in 1981, he lifted the ban. Many times, Mahathir has labelled all non-Malays as 'pendatang' (immigrants) despite most having been born and bred here, many for at least three generations. He has been unapologetic about this term, insisting that he is correct historically. In his latest bid at wantonly promoting Malay supremacy, he is attempting to bring together all the Malay parties, including his former rivals Bersatu and PAS, while inviting Umno members to join too. His approach appears to be rooted in a perception of threats to Malay identity and interests, which he argues necessitates a collective response from the Malay population. Honestly, there is nothing wrong in any party trying to unite a community. It's not just the Malays, others do it subtly too. Groups in Sabah and Sarawak are also known to use such divisive tactics for political reasons. However, to premise his arguments on a narrative of vulnerability, suggesting that the community faces challenges from other ethnic groups, is tantamount to falsehood, in my opinion. He has sensationalised his concerns about the erosion of Malay rights and the position of the Malay language when there is no such threat whatsoever. He knows hitting the primordial sentiments of Malays will hit the right chord. Figures on Malays in power Claims of erosion of Malay and Bumiputera rights is an utterly reckless claim if one cares to look deeply into who's in charge in the public sector. This is vital because these are the people who formulate government policies and implement them. A check with the government's latest list of secretaries-general and directors-general will show some shocking figures – well, shocking to those who claim that Malays and Bumiputeras are losing their position. The list actually makes Mahathir's assertions laughable. Of the 43 top-most government officers — namely the chief secretary to the government and secretaries-general — only three are non-Malays. Of the 107 directors-general and those of their equivalent ranks, only four are non-Malay. If you take the deputies into account, only about 5% of this total are non-Malay. The heads of security forces and the police, their deputies and senior officers are mostly, if not all, Malays or Bumiputera. The head of the judiciary and the majority of judges are Malays or Bumiputera too. None of the vice-chancellors in public universities are non-Malays. Government scholarships, jobs and placements in public universities stick to the quota system, although it's not a written policy. But most Malaysians accept this reality. Constitutional rights The special rights of the Malays and Bumiputera are securely entrenched in the Federal Constitution, and it's safe to say it will never ever be erased until the majority of Malays decide that they don't need it anymore. Claims that the DAP is trying to remove their special privileges and dilute the political power of the Malays is all hogwash. The DAP leaders themselves are seen as being more compromising these days. All they appear to want is to remain in power to ensure there is non-Malay representation in the government. They know better not to rock the boat. As for Islam and the royalty, they are not only untouchable, but no sane Malaysian wants to even go near these subjects. Besides the constitutional safeguards, there is enough fear among Malaysians to keep their distance. No one in their right senses would ever want to rock this boat as they know the serious consequences that they will have to face. The data on population growth also shows that the percentage of Malays and Bumiputera will reach a super majority in a few decades. When it reaches that stage, political battles will mainly involve Malay parties. Non-Malays will be an insignificant minority. To argue that it's all right for the Malays and Bumiputera to dominate the government since the Chinese control the private sector is akin to comparing apples with oranges. The private sector generates revenue from private investment and pays taxes to help run the government. The government is mainly funded by taxpayers. They must coexist for the betterment of the nation. It is not a competition. Election strategy Most know that the perceived threats to the Malay community raised by Mahathir and his ilk are exaggerated or politically constructed to rally support ahead of the next general election, due by February 2028. Their goal is to bring down Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan. Mahathir is leveraging on ethnic solidarity in an attempt to regain influence after previous electoral setbacks, including losing his deposit in Langkawi in the 2022 elections. Mahathir is reckless in taking this approach, as such tactics can exacerbate ethnic tensions in a country that is inherently multi-ethnic, with all citizens enjoying enshrined constitutional rights pertaining to race and religion. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.