BR1M not a bribe, even Saudi Arabia gives similar financial aid - Najib

The 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) is not a bribe because even Saudi Arabia distributes financial aid to its poor, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.

The Prime Minister said the distribution of the aid included channelling money directly into the bank accounts of the needy.

He said this information was gleaned from several Saudi Arabian Cabinet ministers in the entourage of Saudi Arabia's King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud who is on a four-day state visit to Malaysia from yesterday.

"When we (the government) do something, there are people who say it is a bribe (corruption)," he said in reference to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad having likened BR1M to bribery.

"BR1M is not a bribe, it is an aid for the people," said Najib in his address at the official opening of the Kerinchi Residency and 1Federal Territory Reception in the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Lembah Pantai UMNO Division chief Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and MyPPP president Tan Sri M. Kayveas were also present at the event.

Sharing the gist of his conversation with visiting members of the Saudi Arabian Cabinet, Najib said the Saudi Arabian government would soon introduce the Goods and Services Tax.

Malaysia's introduction of the GST in April 2015, therefore, was not wrong because even a wealthy nation like Saudi Arabia would also implement the tax, he said.

Najib also drew attention to the fact that Saudi Arabia, one of the world's major oil producers, had raised fuel prices by 50 per cent.

"Fuel prices in Saudi Arabia have risen 50 per cent. We make a lot of noise when prices go up 20 sen to 50 sen," he said.

The Prime Minister reminded all quarters against confusing the people over the measures implemented by the government because, he said, they were in the people's interest in the short and long term. -- Bernama