KUALA LUMPUR: The government should spell out in Budget 2027 how households will be protected from higher electricity bills after existing relief measures expire at the end of the year, says the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap).
Insap said the higher electricity bill protection threshold of 800kWh, announced by the Prime Minister on Sept 17 and benefiting nearly one million additional households, is due to expire on Dec 31.
It noted that Bank Negara Malaysia’s interim measures to spread medical insurance premium increases over at least three years will also end on the same day.
Insap chairman Datuk Dr Pamela Yong urged the government to state clearly in Budget 2027 what electricity relief or protection would apply from Jan 1, rather than rely on temporary measures that merely postpone the impact of higher bills.
“Electricity relief must follow a published rule. Families caring for the elderly, young children and persons with disabilities need to know how they are protected.
“Relief announced for four months at a listed utility’s expense only postpones the bill, delaying the inevitable.
“Households can only start to plan when the rules are published and the goalposts stop shifting,” she said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 7).
Yong said the issue was particularly important as headline inflation of 1.9% in August did not reflect the uncertainty households faced over electricity costs once the current protection ends.
She said families also needed clarity over future medical costs, with the planned nationwide basic medical insurance scheme, MediAsas, expected to be rolled out next year.
Yong added that care for an ageing population must be properly funded and prioritised, noting that the Finance Ministry expects Malaysia to become an aged society by 2030.
“Even so, the National Ageing Blueprint is untabled and the Senior Citizens Bill is deferred to early 2027.
“Carer support should go beyond tax relief, which most families cannot use,” she said.
Budget 2027 is scheduled to be tabled on Friday (Oct 9).
