KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — The government is looking to provide subsidies to the people through cash transfer to prevent leakage, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, also the Finance Minister, said the cash transfer should not be implemented for all subsidies but only for specific ones.
“This (cash transfer) approach has been considered in several issues, and we will announce this more extensively later,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time today.
Anwar was responding to Paya Besar MP Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah, who wanted to know if the government plans to provide subsidies directly to the people through cash transfer to prevent leakage.
On whether implementing targeted subsidies would affect foreign countries sending workers to Malaysia, he said the government has a policy or principle regarding subsidies to ensure they are provided reasonably and fairly.
“I think foreign workers come here to earn a salary, not to receive subsidies. We do have a policy to provide reasonable and fair assistance to everyone, including non-citizens, but it is unnecessary for any country to provide subsidies to foreign residents,” he added.
— Bernama
