Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has suggested a 10 percent salary cut for all high-income earners, with the money used to provide food for the unemployed.

"I think people earning high salaries in the government or private sector should forgo 10 percent of their salaries.

"It is a sacrifice, but I don't think it would hurt them if there is a reasonable cut-off point, say, RM20,000 per month," he said on his blog, chedet.cc.