Helping the poor won’t bankrupt govt, says Anwar

 The prime minister says the real threats to the economy are misconduct among leaders, corruption and financial leakages.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, opening an entrepreneur scheme in Kelantan today, said no country or government had ever become poor simply by helping the poor. (Bernama pic)

KOTA BHARU:

The government will not become poor or go bankrupt by helping the less fortunate, as the real threats to the country’s economy are misconduct among leaders, corruption and financial leakages, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said providing assistance to low-income groups was the government’s responsibility to ensure that the benefits of national development were shared more widely among the people.

Anwar cited the government’s allocation of RM16 billion this year for the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) assistance programmes, alongside increases in civil servants’ salaries and the minimum wage, as measures aimed at improving the people’s well-being.

“No country or government has ever become poor simply by helping the poor,” he said when launching an entrepreneur scheme here today.

He said a country’s economy could suffer if public wealth was exploited to serve the interests of certain groups, particularly through corruption and greed in the administration. The government must continue to uphold its commitment to helping those in need while maintaining sound financial management and good governance, he said.

Anwar said the government had allocated an additional grant of about RM200 million to strengthen the capacity of small-scale entrepreneurs, particularly those from low-income groups. Small-scale financial assistance could generate meaningful returns for traders if channelled to meet their specific business requirements, he said.

He gave the example of traders who required between RM1,800 and RM5,000 to acquire basic equipment, including refrigerators, to preserve their stock. “Although the allocation is modest, the benefits go directly to those who need it,” he said. - FMT