KUALA LUMPUR – A Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmaker today called out the government’s failure to deliver on its promise to increase the Social Welfare Department’s monthly welfare aid to RM1,000, almost a year after the announcement was made.
Teo Nie Ching (Kulai-PH) pointed to a Facebook post made by former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Pagoh-Bersatu) dated December 3, last year where he vowed to “immediately” increase the assistance from the present RM200 to RM300.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Teo said this has yet to be fulfilled and questioned if the announcement made by Muhyiddin then was merely an empty promise.
“Perhaps we need to ask the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) to amend the definition of ‘segera’ (immediately), that it no longer means three minutes, but more than a year.”
DBP is the government body responsible for coordinating the use of the Malay language and Malay-language literature in Malaysia.
Teo said this in her supplementary question to Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (Rantau Panjang-PAS) on the RM1,000 promised aid for the disabled.
In response, Siti Zailah said her ministry has raised the proposal to the finance ministry, but said the implementation depends on the government’s financial situation.
“As we know, the increase is subject to government approval and financial standing. Increasing the aid to RM1,000 will involve a huge cost. So, it depends on approval.”
To this, Teo said: “So this means the promise made by the former prime minister is unrealistic and an empty one. Do you agree?”
She added that if more studies needed to be conducted based on the government’s financial capability, it should not have promised the aid immediately.
Jumping to Siti Zailah’s defence, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PAS) said: “Janji bukan kitab suci (promises are not sacred scriptures).” – The Vibes, October 27, 2021
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