BANK Negara Malaysia will review and issue new guidelines regarding the increase in insurance premiums, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, Anwar also announced that the government would introduce a Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) guideline to standardise specialist fees.
He also said that efforts would be made to amend Schedule 13 of the Sale of Drugs Act.
"Based on the latest information from BNM and the MoH, they will decide on a control mechanism so that the hike is not too drastic. This is to avoid burdening patients and leading to rising inflation," added Anwar.
He was responding to a question by Suhaizan Kaiat (PN-Pulai) on the measures taken by the government to control the 40-70% hike in insurance premiums and medical inflation.
“What we’re doing now is not a moratorium but interim so that the increment is small and sensible,” added Anwar.
On the issue of an addendum to place former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak under house arrest, Anwar said it was not raised during the initial Federal Territories Pardons Board (FTPB) meeting on Dec 8, 2023.
Anwar said Najib’s royal pardon application was originally not part of the meeting’s agenda.
"I was the one who brought the application for (Datuk Seri Najib Razak's) royal pardon to be included in the Pardons Board agenda," he said.
He said that despite being one of the harshest critics of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, a request for a royal pardon still needed to be presented for consideration.
"When an appeal for a royal pardon is made, I present it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong - we cannot ignore it," he said.
However, he said that his involvement was limited to the initial meeting on Dec 8 and that the following meeting on Jan 29, 2024, was attended by the minister responsible, the federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa. - December 10, 2024
