Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ticked off an opposition MP for suggesting that the removal of subsidies would burden the public.
Anwar said the government was only reducing the subsidies for the T20 higher-income group and not for “90% of the rakyat”.
“We reduce (subsidies) for the rich. For example, when we reduce the subsidy for electricity, it is for those with big houses.
“Why the need to politicise this?” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Anwar said this in response to Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya), who wanted to know what initiatives Putrajaya was implementing to ensure the public was not burdened by the increase in the prices of goods, the depreciation of the ringgit and the reduction in subsidies.
Last month, Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the government will not increase the electricity tariff, except for the T20 group.
He also said Putrajaya would no longer subsidise Muslims from the T20-income group to perform the haj.
Subsidies would instead be reserved for those in the M40 and B40 groups.
