KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasised that he wants every citizen, right down to the poor and hardcore poor at the grassroots, to benefit from the various initiatives in Budget 2025.
He said that key initiatives in the budget include the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA), with the allocation increased to RM13 billion in Budget 2025 compared to RM10 billion previously.
“SARA has now been expanded to 700,000 people, while STR now reaches nine million, meaning both the B40 and M40 groups will benefit. District officers, village heads, and community leaders must ensure that no poor people miss out on this opportunity. I’ve made it clear that no one should be left behind.
“This means the Federal Government guarantees that each household will receive no less than RM1,000 per month, combining all the benefits provided. Not many countries do what Malaysia MADANI is implementing; no citizen is left out,“ he said when launching the 2024 MADANI Rakyat “Sayangi Sabah” porgamme in Likas here today.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, along with federal and Sabah cabinet ministers.
Yesterday, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, tabled Budget 2025 amounting to RM421 billion in the Dewan Rakyat, focusing more on efforts to stimulate the economy, enhance innovation, and ensure a fairer and more equitable distribution of wealth.
The Prime Minister stressed that discussing state or ethnic rights is meaningless if there are still people at the grassroots level who are poor, hardcore poor or have low incomes, and therefore, they must be helped to break free from that situation.
“Why should we argue about state powers, state rights, or ethnic rights? We care for all communities. If there are Malays, Melanaus, Dayaks, Chinese or Indians who fall into the hardcore poor, poor or low income categoriies, then STR will go into their accounts, with a minimum of RM1,100.
“This does not include state government assistance, zakat, from NGOs, or foundations... we are concerned if anyone is left out. It is our responsibility to ensure that no one is left out from benefiting from what the government has undertaken,“ he said.
He added that there is no point in having national development and progress if the people at the grassroots are not given the proper support and therefore, the MADANI government aims to ensure that every citizen receives direct attention, and this effort requires the support of the people themselves.
Anwar highlighted that in the government’s efforts to assist the people, it faces several challenges, including leakages and inefficiencies in aid distribution, which rob the people of their right to benefit from various government initiatives.
Citing petrol subsidy as an example. the Prime Minister explained that the government is working to rationalise this subsidy to ensure that those who genuinely need help receive it optimally, rather than allowing it to fall into the hands of those who take advantage of the system.
“The government provides subsidies to prevent petrol prices from rising and to help those in need. But currently, even foreign nationals without identification cards benefit from the subsidy. They don’t pay taxes, but they get the subsidy. Wealthy individuals living in million-ringgit bungalows are also receiving petrol subsidies.
“So, the top 15 per cent of wealthy individuals, combined with foreign nationals, are using 40 per cent of the subsidy, or RM8 billion annually. That’s why we need to rethink how to ensure that the people who truly need it can benefit from it, so that the 85 per cent of B40 and M40 groups can receive this support,” he said.
Anwar also urged all Malaysians to fully understand and support the efforts of the MADANI government in achieving these goals, which are aimed at alleviating the burdens currently faced by the people.
In addition, the Prime Minister encouraged the public to make the best use of the RM1 billion allocation under the Sejahtera Komuniti MADANI (Sejati MADANI) Programme in the 2025 Budget to transform their communities by implementing beneficial programmes.
“We are providing up to RM100,000 per project, depending on the needs of the village or community, such as longhouses in Sarawak. The decision on what to do is not up to the district officers, ministers, or department heads but the villagers themselves. They can meet and decide if they want to raise chickens, fish, or pursue any other project to improve their livelihoods,“ he said.
