2026-02-17 / Debate: Parliamentary Pensions (Repeal) Bill - Second Reading and Committee Stage 2026-02-17
Hon. Faiszer Musthapha raised two distinct issues during the debate on the Bill to repeal MPs' pensions. On the pension Bill, he cautioned against retrospective application, citing Article 36(2) of the Constitution regarding the protection of presidential pensions, and argued that former MPs who sacrificed professional careers to serve in Parliament are deserving of similar consideration. He proposed replacing the current scheme with a contributory pension model funded by deductions from MPs' salaries, referencing comparable systems in the UK, Singapore, Australia, Canada, and Germany. He also called on both the Government and Opposition to take urgent, unified action to ensure the safety of lawyers, judges, and law enforcement officers in response to a recent murder of a lawyer, linking such violence to drug trafficking networks and invoking Article 13(3) of the Constitution on the right to legal representation.
Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Bill to repeal MPs’ pensions.
I draw attention to Article 36(2) of the Constitution: a President’s pension cannot be altered to his detriment. I respectfully request that this Bill not operate retrospectively. Many former MPs and their families depend on this pension. Professionals who gave up their careers to serve in Parliament lost income during that period; like public servants, they rendered service.
I also propose introducing a contributory pension scheme for MPs, funded by a deduction from their salaries—models exist in the UK, Singapore, Australia, Canada, and Germany—so the burden does not fall on the public.
Separately, a lawyer was recently murdered, causing grave fear within the legal profession. Article 13(3) guarantees the right of any person to be represented by counsel. Our system rests on the presumption of innocence. The State must ensure the safety of lawyers, judges, officers of the Attorney General’s Department, and police officers conducting investigations. Government and Opposition must unite against drug trafficking networks fueling such violence. I urge swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.