THE government must provide a clear and transparent account of the actual savings from targeted subsidy programmes such as the Budi Madani RON95 (BUDI95) fuel initiative, to ensure the public understands the benefits of such measures, says EMIR Research founder Datuk Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff.
“To date, these savings remain merely projected figures. The real impact has yet to be seen,” he said during a televised panel discussion by Sinar Harian titled ‘Targeted Subsidies: Prevent Leakages, Increase Revenue’, hosted by Ismail Adnan on Wednesday.
“We hope the government will also explain where those savings are being channelled, so that people can see the value — as was done in Indonesia, where subsidies were reduced but accompanied by clearly defined assistance programmes,” Rais added.
He emphasised that in Malaysia’s context, citizens prioritise five key aspects of daily life: reducing the cost of living, access to quality and affordable education and healthcare, availability of affordable housing, and dignified job opportunities with fair wages.
“These five pillars are fundamental and cannot be overlooked by any government,” he said. “At the end of the day, what people want is something tangible — something they can feel on their dinner table. That is what truly matters.”
Rais also called for improved communication between the government and the public to avoid misinterpretation of policies and to curb negative perceptions, particularly on social media.
“There is no perfect government, and certainly not this one, which inherited many liabilities from previous administrations,” he said. “But what is needed now is hard work — and, more importantly, the willingness to listen to advisers who understand the pulse of the rakyat, not elitist voices disconnected from everyday hardship.”
Other panellists in the programme included Senator Mohd Hasbie Muda and Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) Vice-President, Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham. - October 4, 2025
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