KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced that the government’s subsidies for the people, including electricity, fuel, and food, are expected to surpass RM81bil this year. Despite the high figure, reducing the overall subsidy without considering the needs of the people is not an option for the government, in order to prevent the burden of living costs on the people. Therefore, the implementation of rationalization measures regarding subsidies is crucial for the government to assist the people while maintaining a strong national economy.
According to Anwar, subsidies are intended to alleviate the people’s burdens. He highlighted that subsidies for chicken and eggs alone amounted to RM3.8bil. However, reducing these subsidies would only increase the cost of living for the people. Consequently, a more resilient policy is necessary, such as the rationalization of subsidies, in order to reduce the subsidies efficiently. Anwar emphasized that no country could survive with such a high amount of subsidies. He made this statement during the Islamic Affairs Management Convention, which was held in conjunction with the 2023 Ijtimak Perdana Agensi Agama Seluruh Malaysia (IJPAM) at the Sabah Intrnational Convention Centre on Wednesday (Oct 4) night.
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Credit: The Star : News Feed
