KUALA LUMPUR: The government has allocated nearly RM13bil for the Rahmah Cash Assistance (STR) and Rahmah Basic Assistance (Sara) initiatives aimed at helping Malaysians cope with rising living costs.
Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib said an additional RM300mil has been set aside for the Payung Rahmah initiative, while RM700mil has been allocated for price control programmes through partnerships with stakeholders.
"RM 40mil has also been allocated for the Price Standardisation Programme in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan,” she said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Feb 5).
Wong Chen (PH-Subang) had asked about recommendations by the Statistics Department on tackling rising costs as outlined in the Cost of Living Indicator Report.
Hanifah Hajar added that the 2023 report, released last year, includes Basic Expenditure of Decent Living (PAKW) and Cost of Living (KSH) indexes to better assess living costs.
To assist the public, Hanifah Hajar said the government has introduced a calculator tool to help families plan their expenses.
The MyPAKW application, accessible via mypakw.dosm.gov.my, serves as a financial management guide.
She added that the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol) is actively working to address the issue of rising living costs, focussing on seven priority areas: housing, education, transportation, utilities, healthcare, food, and income.
Hanifah Hajar also highlighted the Central Database Hub (Padu), which contains profiles of 30.1 million Malaysian citizens and permanent residents, allowing for effective monitoring and evaluation to support those struggling with the cost of living. – Bernama
