If Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin cannot fulfil his promise to increase social welfare monthly aid to RM1,000, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah(GRS) cannot keep their promise not to contest against each other in 17 seats, Sabahans are better off supporting the Warisan Plus state government. Further, Muhyiddin has shown himself to be a weak Prime Minister when his suggested candidate for Sabah Chief Minister, was immediately rejected by UMNO President Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Sabahans wants a united political coalition under a common leader, to bring stability and economic progress to a future state government. If the newly-formed GRS cannot agree on a common candidate for Chief Minister, and are more intent in fighting each other in the 17 state seats, how can GRS promise stability and economic progress for Sabahans?
Sabahans are better off under the Warisan Plus government of Warisan, DAP, UPKO, PKR and Amanah, united under the leadership of caretaker Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal. Shafie has promised that the people, and not money politics buying political “frogs”, will decide who is their next state government and Shafie has delivered on that promise.
The Prime Minister had promised in Sandakan on 30 August, to increase Social Welfare Department’s monthly aid to needy recipients, of between RM200 and RM300 to RM1,000. Up till now, there is no word of any increase in social welfare payments.
Such an increase to RM1,000 is urgently needed following an admission by the Human Resources Minister that the number of unemployed will rise to a historic high of 1 million workers by the end of September. This would increase yearly government expenditure of such social welfare payments of RM1.7 billion from over 500,000 recipients in 2018, to RM12 billion from the expected increase in recipients to 1 million Malaysians.
DAP supports the increase in social welfare monthly aid to RM1,000 as part of the strategic shift in the government’s financial focus from managing the government debts prudently, to borrowing more money to inject funds to save Malaysian livelihood, jobs and businesses. However, many needy Malaysians, especially unemployed workers are still waiting for the promised monthly RM1,000/- from the Prime Minister.