Pas Mp Urges Govt Rethink Its Vague Subsidy Plan

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The lack of a clear mechanism raises concerns on how the government plans to implement its RON95 subsidy rationalisation process in a fair manner, said PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.
He stressed that while PAS is not opposed to reforms, the opposition party will not stand by initiatives that victimise the rakyat by making them the subjects of economic policy “experiments”.
“These reforms are not for the people if they are built on ambiguity, uncertainty and increase the burdens of those who have long been under pressure,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Urging the government to postpone the subsidy rationalisation for the fuel, the Pasir Mas MP said the onus is on the government to prove that the measure will benefit the rakyat and is not merely a “political target”.
“Otherwise, don’t blame the people if they start to believe that this is no longer a caring government, but one that is slowly suffocating them,” he cautioned.
He highlighted that the government has yet to clarify those who will be grouped under the T20 (top 20 percent income earners) classification, which is the classification that will supposedly be ineligible to receive RON95 subsidies.
Fadhli said that while the public’s understanding of T20 is based on a household income classification, recent remarks from ministers in Parliament have “raised more questions than answers”.
“Some say the assessment (of subsidy eligibility) is based on location, others say on spending, and some even suggest that e-wallet data, MySejahtera, and even Netflix subscriptions might be used as indicators!
“In the end, who exactly is the T20? Not a single detailed mechanism has been put forward to ensure that subsidies actually reach those who are truly eligible. If the definition itself is unclear, how can it be implemented fairly and efficiently?” he questioned.
Identifying eligible groups
Earlier today, Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan affirmed that the rationalisation of RON95 fuel subsidies will be implemented in the second half of this year.
ADSHe noted that while the Finance Ministry will continue the process, the current focus is on identifying the groups that will be eligible to receive the subsidy.
“Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, together with the cabinet, is discussing the eligibility threshold for Malaysians, where the qualifying level to receive subsidies will be raised,” he told reporters after officiating the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) International Accountants Conference 2025 in Kuala Lumpur today.
Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah AzizanHe added that the government is “tightening the system” to enable the use of MyKad as a mechanism for implementing targeted RON95 subsidies.
On May 19, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said his ministry had officially handed over the full implementation of the targeted fuel subsidy to the Finance Ministry.
Earlier in December last year, Rafizi said the classification of people in the country, particularly concerning income groups for the RON95 petrol subsidy rationalisation, will be announced by the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.
He said then that the announcement will give room for appeal to those who have yet to register for the Central Database Hub (Padu) and those who have registered but are ineligible for the subsidy. - Mkini

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