PETALING JAYA: The DAP has backed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s proposal to increase the Social Welfare Department’s monthly aid for the poor to RM1,000.In a statement, the party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Covid-19 had made it necessary to borrow more money to lift Malaysia out of a recession.
This, he said, would likely see the number of welfare recipients swell to one million from 500,000 in 2018 when unemployment was only 3.4%. “DAP supports the increase in social welfare monthly aid to RM1,000 as part of the strategic shift in the government’s financial focus from managing the government debts prudently, to borrowing more money to inject funds to save Malaysian livelihoods, jobs and businesses.”
Lim said if Muhyiddin was willing to consider increasing the expenditure for social welfare from RM1.7 billion in 2018 to an estimated RM12 billion to help one million Malaysians, the government should also consider extending the loan moratorium which ends on Sept 30.“Such a moratorium extension, whether borne by the banks of the government, will help a larger number of 8 million Malaysians and companies.