CYBERJAYA, Aug 18 — The government is ready to consider a one-off additional RM100 aid for university students to help them cope with the rising cost of living, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The finance minister said the matter will be given due consideration in Budget 2026, which will be tabled in October.
He was responding to a proposal made by a student representative from Multimedia University (MMU) during the Temu Anwar programme here today.
According to Anwar, the government had previously approved RM100 cash aid for every Malaysian aged 18 and above.
“I welcome the proposal by the student president and I will give it due consideration for the October budget,” he said.
Touching on the cost of living, Anwar once again stressed that the prices of essential goods such as cooking oil, chicken, eggs and sugar in Malaysia remain among the lowest in the region.
“If asked what issue worries me most as prime minister, I remain most concerned about hardcore poverty, people’s poverty and the burden they bear. These are matters we must address as best as we can, but believe me, when we recently raised salaries, those of ministers, deputy ministers and MPs were not increased,” he said.
He also reiterated that every government procurement process must be implemented transparently to achieve greater savings.
Anwar also spoke on the government’s efforts to curb leakages of funds, which he said had helped save national revenue from irresponsible parties.
“How much has been recovered in the past one or two years by the Inland Revenue Board and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from seized funds? It has reached RM4 billion, RM5 billion.
“Imagine, RM5 billion had gone to certain people through illegal means, but what are we doing this for? The RM5 billion is not for me, not for ministers — it is for us to return to the people,” Anwar said.
