The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar - Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member. Since morning we have debated the Parliamentary Pensions (Abolition) Bill. Our Ministers and MPs have clearly stated the position of our party and Government. There is no intent here to harm anyone currently benefitting; rather, we are delivering a policy to institute a new political culture, as we promised.

¶ 02 We must ask: Did this special pension scheme change our political culture for the better? No. For decades, parliamentarians and ministers were portrayed as an elevated class, yet when the country slid into corruption and fraud, what actions did they take? When ethnic discrimination and oppression of Tamils and Muslims intensified over 77 years of Independence, did this Parliament act to end racism, build communal harmony, and interfaith understanding? Instead, divisive politics was fed for decades. MPs’ salaries, perks, and pensions come from taxpayers—yet a new political culture was not created.

¶ 03 Parliament failed for decades to build reconciliation among communities; thus the public cry arose: “We don’t want all 225.” People accused MPs of draining their blood and sweat. On that basis: do those who did not resolve people’s issues deserve a pension? The public’s view is clear. We must rescue Parliament’s dignity and bring in Members who truly love the people and the country, and who are ready to serve and sacrifice. From that perspective, as a party and Government, we are initiating changes to set the country on a new political path, prioritizing people’s problems and delivering solutions progressively.