YOURSAY | ‘Wean the country out of this programme over three years.’

Unacceptable, ridiculous to discontinue BR1M, says MP

Anonymous: Kapar MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, what do you mean by saying it's the “rakyat's right” to receive BR1M? Is it enshrined in the federal constitution?

BR1M is for vote-buying and I totally agree with Economics Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, who did not say the aid is to be stopped completely but that a study needs to be made so that it can reach the people who deserve it.

Lovemalaysia2: Abdullah Sani only listened to half the story, then shouted that his colleagues were wrong.

First of all, we don’t know what Azmin or the cabinet will propose to replace handouts like BR1M, but Azmin was right about it having been used as a vote-buying tool.

If the minimum wage is implemented as planned, its benefit would far exceed the handout. Doesn’t Abdullah Sani want to see more Malaysians earning their own keep? That way, the government will have more for those who can’t work.

Anonymous_2f2da587: Abdullah Sani, when a house is rotten to the foundations, it is easier, faster and more economical to tear it down and build a new house, than try to identify every fault and fix them all.

To find out who are qualified or who are abusing the system is not easy. It is much better to start a new scheme and then check the background of the applicants.

Also now that you are in the governing party, please discuss within your party before making public your comments. It really reflects badly on PKR.

AnonfrmPerak: Azmin is right, BR1M should be abolished. I know of people earning thousands a month who collect BR1M, not to feed their hungry families, but to use it as extra shopping money to buy clothes, handphones, etc.

BR1M should be abolished, and allocations under programmes for social welfare and for the disabled, which actually benefit the actual poor and disabled, should be increased.

Docv: BR1M was a BN initiative to bribe voters. However, there’s some justification to review the model, more so because of the pathetic financial state of the country. We don’t have to completely shut it down now.

Target and reduce the categories for eligibility. There should be no support for families with a total monthly income in excess of RM3,000. Preference should be given for families with a total monthly income of less than RM1,500.

Wean the country out of this programme over three years. Redirect the monies to initiatives that encourage programmes for self-reliance.

Thickskin: It is ridiculous and unacceptable to continue BR1M in its present form. I know of a multimillionaire whose children all collected BR1M because the conditions for giving the aid is so loose, and its administration is so lax.

Similarly, bumiputera rights allow very rich bumiputeras to benefit but poor non-bumiputeras are left out. All this must change.

Sukisan: Indeed, many I know are well-off, but they too get BR1M because they say the money is the rakyat’s, so if we don’t take it, someone else would pocket it anyway.

So, to be effective there must be a survey first to ensure it benefits the real poor, and not any Tom, Dick and Harry, which is what's happening now.

Anonymous_cdb4fb5d: The government should only help and give cash aid to the 100 percent genuinely poor. They should have a fool-proof mechanism to verify the genuine poor from the rich pretenders.

Najib was giving BR1M to 7 million people, where many didn't actually deserve it. All those who received the BR1M probably voted for BN-Najib.

Because Najib was giving billions through BR1M, there was no money left to maintain the country's infrastructure. The government didn't even have money to repair potholes.

Anonymous 2405371458107314: Aid should be channelled through a proper welfare organisation on a needs basis, and not based on just a fixed household income level, as cost of living variations across the country is quite large, and household composition also affects whether aid is justified.

So BR1M is flawed as a welfare tool. BR1M is more of a populist bribe to endear the current government to the voters.

Clever Voter: Blind handouts are a problem. To an extent, the previous regime has cleverly used this to win popular support. Local folks will accept anything that is free.

Money is, of course, welcomed. But if we are to progress as a respectable nation, we need to think carefully whether a social welfare system is damaging in the long run.

Defining who deserves aid and ensuring their eligibility can be a challenge. Many who received aid did not really need it, but because they are gifts from the government, not many will say no. There is also the argument that such BR1M helps to mitigate rising living costs.

The problems are more complex and structural. The situation will worsen with the disappearance of jobs. Many who retire will also have insufficient EPF (Employees Provident Fund) to last beyond three or four years. There is no simple solution.

But if there are two million migrant workers in the country, surely this indicates job opportunities for many to consider, even if the jobs are not what they like to do. Handouts should not give people the reasons to be work shy.

It should be used only for deserving cases.

Malaysianmalaysian: The fact that the rakyat should have to depend on BR1M payments is a black mark on the government of the day.

Abdullah Sani, how would you like to see your old parents or siblings waiting to receive BR1M so they can have money to pay for something?

Work towards raising the dignity of the rakyat so their income levels and living standards are higher so that they do not need to hold out the begging bowl for the BR1M handout.

You are now part of the government, learn to manage the resources and money entrusted by the rakyat to enable rakyat to catch fish, as opposed to giving them fish, so the rakyat too can live with their heads held high.

Mano: Let the people not be dependent on handouts. That is Umno/BN's style.

Let people live with dignity (maruah) and self-esteem by standing on their own two feet. Disband things that are making cost of living high.

Get rid of corruption, get rid of layers of so-called contractors and padding that are eating away our tax money. Many, many things can be done, instead of PKR leaders fighting for territorial rights.

Anonymous #33227154: Yes, there are other ways of helping the poor instead of cash handouts.

For example, affordable housing, access to quality and affordable healthcare services and medicines, free education, providing fair market and business competitiveness with no monopolies, laws to prevent profiteering on food prices and services, creation of enough jobs, etc.

Focus on long-term initiatives, instead of instant cash gratification.

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