Rafizi says Anwar’s welfare policies mirror Najib’s BR1M era
FORMER economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has drawn parallels between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s welfare policies and those of former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, saying current assistance schemes are a continuation of Najib’s BR1M programme.
“Assistance programmes such as the Rahmah Necessities Aid (Sara) and Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) need to be institutionalised in the same way done in other welfare states and not be used as political capital by the government,” Rafizi said on his Yang Berhenti Menteri podcast.
He added that “up to now, STR or Sara is still seen as a continuation of the old BR1M, and later, if the government changes, it becomes something else, not STR or Sara.”
Najib, who is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the global 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal, introduced BR1M during his premiership as part of his populist economic strategy.
Rafizi said cash assistance should instead be a permanent social policy: “If it’s institutionalised for those who qualify, the government pays every month.”
He also criticised Anwar’s decision to have teachers distribute RM150 in school aid directly to parents, calling it “a step backwards” and an unnecessary burden on educators.
Meanwhile, he said the government should prioritise recovering the RM41bil owed to PTPTN.
“The RM41bil PTPTN debt problem hasn’t been resolved yet. It’s like taking money from the left pocket to the right pocket.. if we’re not careful, PTPTN’s existing problems will escalate further.
“I favour a thorough approach…otherwise it’s merely cosmetic or a populist announcement. That’s what we’re worried about with PTPTN,” Rafizi added. — Focus M Oct 11, 2025
Galen Centre slams ‘meagre’ two-sen cigarette tax hike, calls it a missed chance
THE Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy has criticised the government’s decision to raise cigarette excise duty by only two sen per stick under Budget 2026, calling it a wasted opportunity to boost revenue and strengthen Malaysia’s healthcare system.
“It is disappointing that after 10 years of no excise duty increases on cigarettes and other tobacco products, the best that the government could manage was a meagre increase of two sen per stick,” said Galen CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib.
“If this was 77 sen per stick, equivalent to 61% excise tax of the retail price, it would generate an additional tax revenue of RM771.8mil.”
Malaysia has not raised tobacco taxes since 2014. Azrul noted that the current tax rate of 58.6% remains below the World Health Organisation’s 75 percent benchmark.
“Malaysia spends an estimated RM16bil annually treating smoking-related illnesses. For every RM1 collected from tobacco excise duties, RM4 is spent on treatment,” he said.
He urged the government to introduce a national health and social insurance scheme to raise RM6 billion annually, saying, “We need to invest in future-proofing and increasing the resilience and sustainability of the public healthcare system.” — FocusM Oct 11, 2025
