KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Additional aid and subsidies from an additional amount of RM23 billion presented through the Supplementary Supply Bill (2023) 2024 show the government’s commitment to helping the people cope with the rising cost of living, said Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.

The bill involves the disbursement of an amount not exceeding RM23.48 billion from the Consolidated Fund for additional expenditure on services for 2023.

“Among the assistance that has been improved in 2023 are the Early Schooling Aid or Bantuan Awal Persekolahan (BAP), the Rubber Production Incentive and the Paddy Price Subsidy Scheme to help the people in general and also vulnerable groups such as smallholders,” said Amir Hamzah when winding up the debate on the bill in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said the effort will continue in 2024 with the refinement of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives.

“All the improvements in cash assistance to the people are proof that the Madani government will always ensure that the less able continue to be protected. Savings achieved from prudent spending can be redistributed to the needy,” he said.

Amir Hamzah said that for this year, the STR has increased by RM2 billion, or 25 per cent, to RM10 billion from RM8 billion in 2023.

“The provision of STR has benefited around nine million recipients, which is equivalent to 60 per cent of Malaysia’s adult population.

“The STR rate has increased by at least RM300 per household including more than four million beneficiaries,” he said.

Amir Hamzah added that the STR Phase 1 payment that was distributed at the end of January 2024 also increased to up to RM500 (2024) from up to RM300 (2023).

He said for this year, the SARA initiative has been expanded more than five times to RM700 million compared to RM130 million in 2023.

“SARA recipients will now expand to include the poor and extreme poor compared to 2023 which is limited to the extreme poor. SARA recipients increased to 700,000 (2024) from 210,000 (2023).

“The SARA rate for households increased to RM1,200 (2024) from RM600 (2023),” Amir Hamzah said.

In addition, he said that under the Madani government, student assistance was also improved.

He said, starting in 2023, the government has expanded BAP recipients to all students from Standard 1 to Form 5.

“The BAP payment of RM150 to all students has been distributed since January 2024 involving an allocation of almost RM800 million to help more than five million students prepare for school compared to only three million before 2023,” he said.

Meanwhile, Amir Hamzah said that only under the Madani government, the Rubber Production Incentive has been increased not once, but twice, from RM2.50 per kilogramme (kg) in 2022 to RM2.70 per kg in 2023 and RM3.00 per kg this year.

“The Madani government also took steps to increase the income of paddy farmers. The rate of the Paddy Price Subsidy Scheme has been increased from RM360 per tonne in 2022 to RM500 per tonne in 2023,” he added.

The Dewan Rakyat session continues tomorrow. — Bernama