MCA has called on the government to introduce a mechanism that would allow Malaysians who do not need the RM100 one-off cash aid announced this morning to return the funds.
In a Facebook post, MCA president Wee Ka Siong said the returned funds could be channelled to healthcare and education.
Wee said the funds could be used to expedite elective treatments for 15,000 patients at government hospitals, some of whom face a waiting period of up to 21 months.
The money could also be used to offer scholarships to straight-A Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia students as well as Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia and matriculation graduates with excellent CGPAs, he said.
“Rather than spending public money that may benefit those who don’t really need it, wouldn’t it be better to support those who genuinely do, while also upgrading our healthcare and education systems?
“It will be a win-win solution. The people get to choose, and the government wins too!” he said.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the one-off cash aid for all Malaysians aged 18 and above, under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah aid initiative.
The money, which will be channelled through recipients’ MyKads, is in conjunction with the National Day celebration, he said.
In a special televised announcement, Anwar said the aid could be used between Aug 31 and Dec 31, to purchase basic necessities from over 4,100 outlets including hypermarkets such as Mydin, Lotus, Econsave, and 99 Speedmart.
Anwar also said the government had set aside RM2 billion for the initiative, which is expected to benefit some 22 million citizens.
Wee said he believed that Anwar, his ministers, and elected representatives would be willing to forgo the RM100.
“I will be the first to contribute mine,” he said.
