PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government has not removed subsidies but will implement measures to ensure they reach those most need them.
Anwar said the government needs to manage its resources to ensure all its spending is targeted effectively.
"I want to clarify that we did not remove subsidies. The government still provides subsidies for essential items, including rice and fuel.
"What we are doing is ensuring that these subsidies reach the people who need them the most and are not being misused or wasted.
“There has been no cut in subsidies as some have claimed," Anwar said during the launching of the Sabah International Blue Ocean Conference in Kota Kinabalu.
When tabling the 2025 National Budget, he said the government plans to carry out reforms on the country's subsidy systems for education, healthcare and fuel to redirect the subsidies that also benefit the wealthy individuals and foreign nationals.
Anwar said these subsidies should benefit those from the low and middle-income groups. - October 20, 2024
