KOTA BARU: The government will not become poor or go bankrupt by helping the less fortunate, as the real threats to the country’s economy are misconduct among leaders, corruption and financial leakages, says the Prime Minister.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said providing assistance to low-income groups is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the benefits of national development are shared more widely among the people.
Anwar cited the government’s allocation of RM16bil this year for the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah assistance programmes, along with increases in civil servants’ salaries and the minimum wage, as measures aimed at improving the people’s well-being.
“No country or government has ever become poor simply by helping the poor,” he said when launching the Kelantan Entrepreneur Revival Scheme here yesterday, Bernama reported.
He said a country’s economy could suffer if public wealth was exploited to serve the interests of certain groups, particularly through corruption and greed in the administration.
The Prime Minister stressed that the government must remain committed to helping those in need while maintaining sound financial management and good governance.
On another matter, he said the government had allocated an additional grant of about RM200mil to strengthen the capacity of small-scale entrepreneurs, particularly those from low-income groups.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said small-scale financial assistance could generate meaningful returns for traders if channelled towards meeting their specific business needs.
He cited the example of traders who need between RM1,800 and RM5,000 to purchase basic equipment, including refrigerators, to preserve their stock.
“Although the allocation is modest, the benefits go directly to those who need it,” he said.
Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud was also present at yesterday’s event.
