The 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) will be improved in the future to help the lower income group increase their income.

Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said discussions were being held on how to improve the programme, such as having a mandatory training session for them.

“Thus after the training, they would be able to earn a higher income and come out of the group of BR1M recipients," he said when opening the 11th Malaysian National Economic Conference in Putrajaya today.

Mohd Irwan Serigar said the implementation of a health insurance scheme for Malaysians would also be presented in Budget 2017.

“This scheme will be able to directly reduce the burden on the government, because we spend more than RM20 billion just on medicines,” he said.

He said the scheme was currently being discussed and finalised with the Health Ministry, and would be implemented as soon as possible.

“We have presented it to the National Economic Council and other related entities to set up and manage the health insurance so that the low-income group can receive better health services,” he said.

- Bernama