Malaysian government to help people cope with rising cost of living

The Malaysian government has prepared 10 types of aid packages to help people cope with the current and future rising costs of living, an government official said Thursday.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan told reporters that the 10 aid packages include basic subsidies, assistance to farmers, fishermen, oil palm workers and rubber tappers, reduction of income tax cuts, health subsidies, educational assistance, affordable housing projects, assistance to the poor, funds for the development of entrepreneurs as well as salary increases and bonuses for civil servants.

He did not deny that rationalization of the budget made by the government in reducing the national deficit recently had caused prices of three types of items to rise, namely oil, sugar and electricity.

But he said the aid packages had been created to help people to achieve a high level of income so as not to be burdened with rising costs in the future.