Najib (second left) at the housing project site. — Bernama photo
JOHOR BAHARU: The 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) is not aimed to make people lazy but it is a social network of the people and the government’s way to transfer the country’s short-term wealth to the people.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government’s intention was to ease the people’s burden in dealing with the rising cost of living.
“This was not my proposal, it was proposed by the fiscal committee and Bank Negara to help 40 per cent of the people, not to buy votes or for political purposes, but to help the people,” he said.
Najib, who is also Finance Minister said this in his speech at a ceremony to hand over the Melana Indah Phase 1 People’s Housing Project (PPR), here yesterday.
His statement was seen as alluding to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s criticism over the annual cash handout recently.
“I want to ask how many have received BR1M, do BR1M make you lazy? Do you want BR1M to continue?
“Those who don’t want BR1M can return them,” he said, cheered by some 15,000 people who attended the ceremony.
Najib said the BR1M should not be misused for buying cigarettes for instance but to be used to buy basic household items like milk, rice and others.
“We increase oil (price because) we want to reduce subsidies. When the price of oil is low, who profit? The people will profit but there are leakages, so when we are giving BR1M, we give to the right group and there are no leakages,” he said.
Najib said the government would improve the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from time to time.
He said the benefits of the tax would be seen especially through the increasing revenue in the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK11) and so on.
“If the revenue increases, I will table in the national Budget so that the people will know the results.
“Already 160 countries have implemented it. Without GST, many people will avoid paying taxes, so let us not hear inciting statements from various parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Najib said that economic policy based on people’s needs like the PPR would continue to be Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s priority and agenda.
Najib said the priority was also in line with BN’s manifesto in the last general election. — Bernama