Madani govt has strengthened cash aid since 2023, says Armizan

Domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali compared the figures for the yearly federal cash assistance initiatives by the different administrations during an event in Sandakan on July 25. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali has highlighted improvements to the federal government’s cash assistance programme under the Madani administration, with allocations rising to RM15 billion this year.He said Putrajaya introduced its cash assistance initiative in 2012, beginning with Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), followed by Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH), Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR), Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM), and most recently Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR)."Each rebranding has come with improvements, including higher assistance rates, a larger number of recipients and increased allocations."Thankfully, both the assistance rate and overall allocation have increased every year. Since 2023, the Madani government has introduced significant enhancements."For 2026, the maximum annual assistance has reached RM4,600, benefiting nine million heads of households or recipients, with a total allocation of RM15 billion," he said in a statement.The minister also shared a TikTok video of his speech, delivered during a handover ceremony for financial assistance from the Sabah government to non-Islamic schools and religious bodies in the state on July 25.In the video, he denied claims that the Madani government was not doing enough to alleviate the people's cost of living burden.He compared the STR figure with BR1M, under which the maximum annual assistance was RM500, benefiting 4.2 million heads of households (HoHs) or recipients, with a total allocation of RM2.1 billion in its first year.By 2018, the maximum annual assistance under BR1M had risen to RM1,200, benefiting seven million HoHs or recipients, with a total allocation of RM6.8 billion.Under BSH, the maximum annual assistance in 2019 and 2020 was RM1,480, benefiting 4.1 million recipients in 2019 and 4.5 million in 2020.

The total allocation was RM5 billion in both years.Under BPR, the maximum annual assistance was RM1,800 in 2021, benefiting 8.5 million recipients with a total allocation of RM6.5 billion. BKM, introduced in 2022, provided a maximum of RM2,000 per recipient to 8.7 million beneficiaries, with a total allocation of RM8.2 billion.Armizan said…