Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary has rubbished claims that the initiatives announced earlier this week, including one-off cash aid of RM100 for every adult Malaysian, are populist in nature.
Shamsul Iskandar Akin also denied that they were given as “goodies” ahead of the next general election, citing the increase in Anwar‘s approval rating by an independent pollster.
Merdeka Center said in June that Anwar’s approval rating had risen to 55% from 43% in the corresponding period last year.
“So the issue of wanting to be popular does not arise here. (The initiatives) were about what we give back to the people after being in power for two and a half years.
“The announcement was the result of administering the country for half a term. If the initiatives were election goodies, they would have been announced only later,” he said in an interview with TVALhijrah last night.
Anwar announced the cash aid, to be given under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative, in a special televised announcement on Wednesday.
He also said that the allocation for the Rahmah Sales programme for 2025 would be doubled to RM600 million, and that Sept 15 would be an additional public holiday in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.
He said the government would postpone the increase in highway toll rates initially set to affect 10 highways this year, and that Malaysians would enjoy a lower RON95 price of RM1.99 per litre once the targeted subsidies come into effect.
Responding to criticism of the RM100 SARA aid, Shamsul said there were some who saw it as a great benefit.
He also said that a better understanding was needed of the RON95 targeted subsidy initiative, reiterating that high-income earners and foreigners are not eligible for the scheme.
“If we don’t bring down the price (of RON95), we will be demonised on social media. Yet when we announce a lower price, we are also attacked.”
