Najib: New approach with targeted subsidy, aid

The government will do away with bulk aid and bulk subsidy as the rich, tourists and migrant workers all benefit from them, says Prime Minister Najib Razak.

KUALA SELANGOR: Bulk aid and bulk subsidy will be switched to targeted assistance and targeted subsidy in a new approach by the government to help the people.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who announced this yesterday, said this was to ensure that aid reached the targeted groups.

“There was wastage and leakage in the bulk subsidy scheme because foreigners and tourists also enjoyed the aid,” he said when launching the Jom Bantu Rakyat Kuala Selangor programme at SK Ijok at Bestari Jaya here.

The prime minister said bulk aid or bulk subsidy caused much leakage and “injustice”.

“Who benefits from oil subsidy? Those who own big cars benefit more, the tourists benefit, the migrant workers benefit,” he said.

Najib said if the government could save on oil subsidy, the savings could be used to provide other targeted subsidies for the people.

The Barisan Nasional chairman also said another new approach was for government leaders to meet the people without formalities.

“I was welcomed here by the people, not with red carpet and ‘bunga manggar’ protocol, but with their sincere enthusiasm. This is what I prefer,” he added.

Najib hit out at the opposition for criticising the government each time petrol prices went up, explaining that this was actually determined by market forces.

He accused them of being silent when the government was able to help raise the price of palm oil to RM3,300 per tonne, which he said was the result of his visit to China in October last year.

“I checked with a retired teacher who has 4ha of oil palm. He now earns RM4,000 a month. The price of rubber has also tripled,” Najib added.

Najib also announced a RM1.5 million allocation to develop the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia jetty in Kampung Sungai Sembilang as a major agro-tourism hub for the country.

He also used the occasion to launch a National Transformation 2050 (TN50) monument at SK Ijok which will be a symbol for the government’s vision for the next 30 years. -FMT