PEKAN: The Barisan Nasional government’s success in helping the people have led to the opposition trying to imitate its methods, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The opposition, he said, had consistently labeled the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) as ‘dedak’, yet they had promised to provide similar assistance to the people in their election manifesto.
“When the increased BR1M payout was announced, which reflects government's sound economic policy, the opposition had nothing to say, even though they used to call it ‘dedak’.
“The opposition only know how to mock and slander, but the government is the one helping the people, especially the poor and needy,” he said.
Najib was speaking during a gathering of more than 2,500 people comprising Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) entrepreneurs, civil servants and the private sector at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Convention Centre on Sunday.
He said government aid, under his administration, reaches the people “all the way to their kitchen”. In comparison, he said the previous government had only built roads up to people’s homes.
At the same time, Najib highlighted that revenues collected through the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are returned to the people.
Malaysians who benefited the most from it are those from the Bottom 40 (B40) income bracket, he said.
Najib had recently announced that households earning an income of under RM3,000 a month will have their BR1M payments doubled from RM400 to RM800, disbursed in June and August. Meanwhile, households earning between RM3,000 and RM4,000 will receive RM600 instead of RM300.
Those who are single and earning less than RM2,000, and received RM450 in BR1M payment in February, will receive an additional RM150.
Najib also announced two new BR1M categories.
Najib, who is Barisan Nasional chairman, had said that households earning between RM4,000 and RM5,000 will receive RM700 which will be paid in two installments – RM350 in June and another RM350 in August.
The second new category is a one-off aid of RM1,500 for the children of BR1M recipients who received offers to further their studies at higher education institutions.