While the British are now just realising the beauty of giving direct cash payments to households in generating economic growth, Malaysia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, has long since implemented the 'brilliant' measure, lauded an Umno-linked portal.

MyKMU.net claimed that economic measures similar to Najib's Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) initiative, are being seriously considered by British economists.

The portal quoted a report by The Guardian, which stated that 35 economic experts in Britain agreed that giving cash direct to households is the most effective policy to increase economic growth.

Under Najib's leadership, the portal said that BR1M was introduced in 2012, which not only helped the rakyat, but stimulated the economy with spending generated by the direct cash payments to households.

It also acted to return the nation's excess earnings to the people, something that had never occurred before, it claimed.

"They (the British) were just thinking about it, we have already done it," read the portal's article on the matter.

Indeed, wrote the portal, several economic analysts have agreed that BR1M was a catalyst which created multiple positive effects for the rakyat and the country.

It allowed lower income groups to increase their earnings, with the resulting increase in spending helping to grow the economy.

MyKMU quoted RHB Investment Bank's regional equity market chief Gan Kim Choon as saying that the extra spending from BR1M would generate domestic demand, and stimulate the economy in the long run.

The portal posited that the British recognition of the idea vindicates Najib from criticism, mainly from the opposition, that had been hurled at him when BR1M was first introduced, including accusations that the cash payments were daylight bribery.

"We would like to record our pity at their stupidity which came to public attention when similar aid was implemented in the states they control in the name of 'welfare', though in amounts way below what BR1M accords.

"We should not deny that many among the opposition themselves voluntarily accepted the aid," alleged MyKMU.

The one-time BR1M cash payment received brickbats when it was first introduced.

Critics accused it of being a straight bribe, as it was usually given close to elections, with many noting that its one-off nature would not make much of a difference to its recipients in the long run.