A PROPOSAL by Perikatan Nasional (PN) to provide RM6,000 in annual cash aid to the public has been described as baseless and rhetorical by Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, Political Secretary to the Minister of Finance.
Responding to opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s call in Parliament to reinstate the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) scheme at RM500 per month, Muhammad Kamil said the proposal lacked credibility, given PN’s failure to introduce such measures while in government.
“The people should be cautious of such statements and be realistic about the nation’s financial capacity,” he told reporters after officiating the 10th ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival at the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre.
“When he (Hamzah) had the power, this was not implemented. Only now, after losing power, are such statements being made,” he added.
Muhammad Kamil noted that during PN’s administration, cash assistance programmes were partially financed through withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), not entirely from government coffers.
He also pointed out that the current government’s direct cash aid through the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) scheme is significantly higher than previous efforts.
“For example, the previous BPN scheme offered a maximum of RM2,000, whereas the current STR allows a household to receive up to RM4,600,” he said.
