KUALA LUMPUR: Budget 2027 should address electricity relief or protection for consumers starting Jan 1 next year, says the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap).
Its chairman Datuk Dr Pamela Yong said the higher electricity bill protection threshold of 800kWh (kilowatt-hours), which was announced by the Prime Minister on Sept 17 and covers nearly one million additional households, was due to expire at the end of the year.
Yong also called on the government to state in Budget 2027 what electricity relief or protection would apply after Dec 31, rather than temporary relief measures that merely delay 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,” she said in a statement.
She added that the matter is particularly important as headline inflation of 1.9% in August did not reflect the uncertainty faced by households over electricity costs after the current protection ends.
Yong also pointed out that Bank Negara’s interim measures, which spread medical insurance premium increases over at least three years, will also end on Dec 31.
She said families must know what medical cover would cost as the planned nationwide base medical insurance plan, MediAsas, is only expected to roll out next year.
Yong added that caring for an ageing population must be 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.
