Seri Setia voters asked for IPR, not BR1M, says Harapan candidate

SERI SETIA POLLS: Harapan's Seri Setia by-election candidate Halimey Abu Bakar (above) today said he believes that the government's plan to scrap the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) scheme has little impact among the lower-income voters.

Speaking to reporters while on the campaign trail at Taman Desaria flats in PJS 5, Halimey said the issue of the eventual scrapping of the BR1M was never raised by the voters.

"There is no impact.

"Throughout my campaign in Seri Setia, all the voters instead asked me about Selangor's Inisiatif Peduli Rakyat (IPR)," said Halimey in reference to the state government's 42-point initiative which includes free water, subsidised health care and micro-credit schemes among others.

"They want IPR. No one raised concerns about the BR1M (removal)," said Halimey.

He said this when asked for comments on Harapan's Balakong by-election candidate Wong Siew Ki's remarks that the issue of BR1M's removal, as well as the proposed soda tax, was raised by voters in her area.

When contacted, Wong confirmed that cost of living issues including the impact of BR1M's removal and the proposed tax on high-sugar drinks were raised by voters from the lower-income groups in Balakong.

"When I go for walkabouts, even today, some voters mentioned that they do have their worries.

"They worry about what will happen if BR1M is cancelled because some of them are from low-income groups, some are retired," she told Malaysiakini.

Unlike in Seri Setia, Wong (above, right) said the voters had asked her about BR1M, rather than on any available assistance from the state government.

"I told them that we (Harapan) will not simply cancel BR1M.

"It will be done gradually and together with efforts to uplift the people's standard of living," she said, adding that the aim was to reach a win-win situation for both sides.

'Halimey will win'

PKR vice-president Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, who accompanied Halimey on the campaign trail, similarly expressed confidence that the BR1M issue would not negatively affect his chances against PAS' Dr Halimah Ali.

"There is no impact. No impact at all. Halimey will win," said the Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister.

BR1M has been renamed "Bantuan Sara Hidup" by the Pakatan Harapan-led government which has continued to make payments after taking over the government in May.

On Aug 25, Mahathir said the payments from the scheme would be gradually scaled down and eventually abolished. - Mkini