Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has welcomed the government’s RM100 one-off cash aid for Malaysian adults, but expressed hope that more holistic measures would be introduced to mitigate the rising cost of living.
Chow said the RM100 cash aid under Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) was still appreciated, acknowledging it would cost Putrajaya billions of ringgit.
“However, I believe the people are looking forward to more comprehensive forms of assistance, such as initiatives that ease the cost of doing business, or infrastructure projects that create jobs and spur growth,” he said, according to the Penang government’s news organ, Buletin Mutiara.
Chow acknowledged that Putrajaya faced financial constraints currently.
This morning, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the one-off payment would be channelled through the MyKad and was in conjunction with the upcoming National Day celebration.
He said the cash could be used between Aug 31 and Dec 31 to purchase basic necessities from more than 4,100 outlets, including hypermarkets such as Mydin, Lotus, Econsave, and 99 Speedmart.
Chow acknowledged that Malaysia was facing domestic and foreign economic pressures, and said Anwar should be given the room and time to navigate these issues, including the US tariffs.
“Anwar should be given a free hand to mediate and mitigate the current situation. He deserves more time to address these concerns in a meaningful way,” said the DAP leader.
