Govt suggested to find new mechanism for BR1M

A member of parliament from Selangor on Wednesday suggested the government to find new mechanisms to improve the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M).

Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim (BN-Kuala Selangor) said the giving of the aid could be improved by categorising the recipients into two categories, namely the urban and rural recipients.

"Through this mechanism, the use of BR1M for both categories should be limited for purchase of basic needs only and through selected shops and outlets only," he said when debating the Supply Bill 2016 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Irmohizam suggested that the use of BR1M for urban recipients be made by way of the electronic system and vouchers be used for the rural recipients to avoid leak or abuse of the aid.

He welcome the government's move in continuing with the aid, saying that the concept of BR1M was to ease the people's burden.

On the high price of houses, Irmohizam said subscribers of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) should be allowed to make withdrawals for purchase of their first house regardless of their age.

"The price of houses in the country is 4.4 times higher compared with the average actual annual salary of the people and can be categorised as very not affordable," he added.

Meanwhile, Datuk Shabudin Yahaya (BN-Tasek Gelugor) said the government should consider the actual take home pay of the people instead of their gross income.

He also said more programmes should be carried out by the government to encourage youths to become entrepreneurs.