Diesel subsidy rationalisation: First batch of Budi Madani recipients to get payments on June 10

KLANG: Those whose applications for diesel subsidies had been approved by June 3 will be receiving their payments on Monday (June 10), says Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.

The Finance Minister II said the first batch of 30,000 people would receive the RM200 subsidy under the Budi Madani programme on Monday.

He said the RM200 subsidy, which will be made monthly, would be sufficient to cover the diffrence in diesel cost from the current price to the price after the impending price hike.

"We have seen our study and data from the National Statistics Department that the amount is sufficient to cover the cost.

"It does not mean that the recipients are getting free diesel, we are merely helping to cover the difference between the current and new prices," said Amir.

Earlier, Amir and Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu had a closed door meeting with about 150 small scale farmers at the Klang district Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) here.

Amir also said the RM200 was not a one-off payment but a monthly diesel subsidy payment.

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According to Amir, the farmers who attended the gathering were given an explanation about the subsidy as well as the criteria for them to qualify for it.

He said the subsidy had to be finetuned so that the funds will not be chanelled to sectors that do not qualify for it.

"We have to do it (finetune), otherwise the people's money will go to the wrong place," he said, adding there was a possibility that half of those who qualified for the subsidy did not know how to apply or the criteria required to qualify.

"We explained to them that if their company had vehicles that transported goods or logistics, there won't be a problem," added Amir.

He said those who qualify for the diesel subsidy will also have to receive a monthly income of less than RM10,000.

"We also explained to them that the subsidy was only for Malaysian citizens and also not for luxury cars.

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"But if the luxury cars are old and not in good condition, we can consider," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamad said all small scale farmers who use vehicles related to their work qualify for the subsidy.

"Those who use lories to transport padi to the factory and othet vehicles transporting fish and agricultural products will all get," he added.

He said his ministry's officials will inspect the applications and vehicles of those applying for the targeted subsidy.

According to Mohamad, small scall farmers who use generators and pumps running on diesel, to transfer water, for example, will also qualify for the subsidy.