BR1M is not a form of bribery, says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak stressed that the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) is not a form of bribery for the government to gain support from the public.
In refuting allegations hurled by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Najib stated that the government was sincere in its intention to assist the needy when it decided to introduce the programme.
He also drew comparison between BR1M to a similar programme introduced in Saudi Arabia, where the government of the Arab nation opened up bank accounts for its citizens and deposited cash assistance to help families cope with their financial burdens.
"When Mahathir said BR1M is a bribe, what is the difference between BR1M and the assistance given by the Arab government?
"They never said the assistance by the Saudi Arabian government is a bribe, but when we do it, people say we are giving bribes.
"BR1M is not a bribe, it is meant to help the rakyat who are in need. We never said that you need to support Barisan Nasional (BN) if you receive BR1M, nor that BR1M is only given to BN's supporters," he said in his speech at the launch of Residensi Kerinchi in Lembah Pantai here.
Najib also said the government did not take the wrong step when it decided to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2015, despite public outcry.
This is because even oil-rich Saudi Arabia has plans to introduce the same tax scheme soon, Najib explained.
"If Saudi Arabia that is rich in oil wants to introduce GST, there must be a valid reason to initiate the tax," he said.
He also pointed out the attitude of certain people who were clamorous when the government decided to increase petrol prices by 10 sen or 20 sen.
Drawing another comparison with Saudi Arabia, Najib said fuel prices in the Arab country had increased by 50% despite its vast crude oil deposits.
He said every measure taken by the government was meant to serve the public's long-term and short-term importance, adding that the rakyat should not be confused or misguided by the wrong information.