Government mulls providing subsidies through cash transfer - PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering providing subsidies to the people through cash transfer to prevent leakage, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, however, said that the cash transfer should not be implemented for all subsidies, but only for specific ones.

"This (cash transfer) approach has been considered in several issues, and we will announce this more extensively later," he said during the Minister's Question Time today.

Anwar said this in reply to Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) who wanted to know whether the government is planning to provide subsidies directly to the people through cash transfer to prevent leakage.

On whether the implementation of targeted subsidies would have implications for foreign countries sending workers to Malaysia, Anwar said the government has a policy or principle regarding subsidies to ensure they are provided reasonably and fairly.

"I think foreign workers come here to earn a salary, not to receive subsidies. We do have a policy to provide reasonable and fair assistance to everyone, including non-citizens, but it is not necessary for any country to provide subsidies to foreign residents," he added.

-- BERNAMA