KUALA LUMPUR: The Opposition pact today gave the thumbs up for the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) programme and said it has no plan to scrap the aid initiative if it comes to power.
PKR's Member of Parliament for Kelana Jaya, Wong Chen, said the programme was a success but required some refinement to ensure that the poorest were also given some forms of aid.
"We have to look at the issue of incentivising BR1M.
“It is not sufficient to give money to people just because they are poor, there should be some form of incentive.
“For example, maybe the recipient should try to get a job and that the monies will be paid through the employer,” he said during the launch of Pakatan Harapan’s alternative budget for 2017 in Parliament today.
He said aid should not be given without conditions, and cited the Bolsa Família social welfare programme of the Brazilian government as an example.
He said the programme was a targeted system which also ensured that children go to school.
Wong added that in Australia, one must hold a job in order to receive social support.
At the same time, DAP’s Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming said many countries had implemented conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme, where he government or a charity organisation only transfers the money to persons who meet certain criteria.
He said the Penang state government is already looking at implementing CCT programme as an alternative to BR1M.