KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — No single race was prioritised in the distribution of government aid, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Negara today.
He dismissed claims that initiatives such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) targeted only the Bumiputera, stressing that all those eligible would receive the aid.
The finance minister said that while the Bumiputera form the largest group of STR and SARA beneficiaries — with RM7.1 billion allocated for Malays, RM1.6 billion for Sabah Bumiputera, RM819 million for Sarawak Bumiputera, and RM130 million for Orang Asli — recipients are determined strictly based on eligibility.
“When I speak about STR or SARA, some claim only the Bumiputera benefit. That’s not true, because there are also low-income earners among the Chinese community," he said when tabling the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to the Senate here.
“For STR and SARA, we have allocated RM1.9 billion for this group. Yes, the figure is smaller compared with allocations for the Bumiputera, but it is based on eligibility,” he said, adding that Indians received RM972 million.
"Sometimes, the Indian community complains that the only aid they receive is through the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra). I have said many times, that is only one of the mechanisms."
Anwar said that while in certain districts, the majority of recipients are Malays, there are also places like Sentul where most beneficiaries are Indians.
"It has nothing to do with race... We never label it as STR for Indians or STR for Chinese. This is the first time I'm saying this because I'm tired of having to explain it repeatedly."
On the business financing guarantee scheme, Anwar said RM4 billion was allocated for the Bumiputera, RM13.9 billion for the Chinese, and RM600 million for Indians.
For the housing credit guarantee scheme, the prime minister said the Bumiputera group received RM17.2 billion, the Chinese RM1.68 billion, and the Indians RM2.5 billion.
“I hope with this explanation we can reduce racial polemics and instead focus on efforts to strengthen the nation. If there are issues, raise them appropriately and don’t be swayed by unnecessary chatter.
“When racial issues are raised, for instance if the Indian community voices strongly, it could trigger a reaction from the Malays. The Malays are the majority in this country, and most of the poor are also Malay, which is why we need to prioritise them.”
Anwar added that requests from the Indian community are welcome, “but don’t question what the Malays receive. I am uncomfortable with such polemics, as it creates the impression that the Malays are already well-off, which is not true”.
