Bettering lives: Armizan (centre, second row from front) with Syukur recipients at Dewan Datuk Salleh Sulong in Papar. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: More than RM20bil has been allocated for subsidies on consumer goods this year, says the Finance Ministry.
The ministry said this includes fuel subsidies, which will continue to benefit the majority of Malaysians.
“RM250mil has also been prepared for the distribution of necessities in rural and interior areas, especially in Sarawak and Sabah,” the ministry said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
The ministry said the main reason for subsidies is to stabilise the price of goods.
This can help alleviate the burden of those affected by the rising cost of living, it said.
The ministry was responding to Rantau Panjang MP Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, who asked whether the government intends to reintroduce subsidies for rice and cooking oil to assist those burdened by the cost of living.
Separately, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the government is still fine-tuning the best mechanism to implement targeted RON95 petrol subsidies to ensure they reach the eligible.
“We will ensure that there will be no unreasonable increases in the price of goods and services,” he said.
The ministry, he added, is also identifying target groups that can benefit from the subsidies through discussions with related ministries and agencies.
“Increased enforcement will also be carried out under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723),” he said in response to a question by Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim, who asked about measures taken by the government to ensure the price of goods and cost of living do not rise as a result of RON95 prices being floated.
Meanwhile, in PAPAR, Armizan said over 72,000 registered household heads in Sabah have started receiving the first phase of the RM300 cash aid from the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur) 2025 initiative.
The aid is being credited directly into recipients’ bank accounts, but over 19,000 household heads are still awaiting their payments due to incomplete registration in the Sabah Maju Jaya secretariat system, he said.
To address this, Armizan said the ministry will roll out an outreach programme to ensure all eligible recipients received the aid ahead of Ramadan.
“We urge all involved, including the secretariat, state government and local representatives, to ensure no one is left behind,” Armizan said after an event to advocate for the cost of living and open bank accounts for Syukur recipients yesterday, Bernama reported.
