THE topic of targeted subsidies has been one of the most discussed on social media. The idea is to streamline subsidies for those who need them the most, namely the hard-hit families who are still struggling after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current economic situation is also not helping, with prices rising and salaries stagnating.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said that the criticism from the opposition on subsidy restructuring wouldn’t surprise him. He foresees the opposition campaigning for a restoration of the old subsidy formula, which even the rich benefit from.
Yet he said the unity government is not anti-subsidy, as some are claiming, but the government believes in a fairer redistribution of subsidies.
Contributing to the debate, netizens have mixed feelings on targeted subsidies, and some are blaming Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the decisions made in 2018 to eradicate the goods and services tax (GST) and for not keeping up with their promises of fuel price reduction when they came to power.
Was the GST a major contributor to the economy but was’stupidly’ abolished by PH? But at that time, a large majority of the people were against the GST.
One thing is certain, though. Previous governments, especially during the COVID crisis, created heavy debts to assist the people in order not to get criticised, but this failed the country, and the people now have a better vision of the state of Malaysia’s economy.
Below are some user comments on the targeted subsidy and the state of Malaysia’s economy. – Jan 27, 2023
