The Malaysian Insight

SELANGOR’S budget 2020 will see cuts to certain programmes that made Pakatan Harapan such a hit among voters ahead of the 14th general election last year.

Others, however, will get more funding as the Selangor government completes its exercise to ensure aid reaches targeted groups in the nation’s wealthiest state.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight one programme that will face cuts is the free water scheme, where each household currently receives 20 cubic metres per month.

The scheme will be restricted to low-income households and those earning RM4,000 and below, but the quantum will be 25 cubic metres, up from the 20 cubic metres set when it was first introduced in 2008.

On the other hand, a grocery aid programme for poor mothers, known by its Bahasa Malaysia acronym, KISS, will get more funding next year, sources said.

The reallocation of funds follows an exercise to “streamline” and cross-check recipients with federal government databases on the poor so that they benefit the neediest, a senior state official told The Malaysian Insight.

The streamlining process is also to cut back on programmes replicated by the federal government.

“We want to make sure the state uses its funds in the best possible way to benefit those who need them the most,” the official said.

These programmes were started by Pakatan Rakyat, the precursor to PH, when its three parties, PKR, DAP and PAS, took over Selangor after the 2008 general election.

The programmes were its way to prove that the coalition was a better, more honest manager of government finances compared with Barisan Nasional, which at the time ruled Putrajaya.

Now that Selangor and Putrajaya are governed by the same coalition, the state wants the latter to shoulder some of the burden from these aid programmes.

“Even though we are the richest state, we have limited funds. We still need money to pay for roads, bridges, for flood mitigation, and to revive abandoned housing schemes. We also need money to create jobs.

“So if we can realign our programmes with the federal government’s, we’ll be able to save money and use it in areas that are not being served,” the official said.

Weeding out less needy

In the 2019 state budget, Selangor cut funds for its free water programme by more than half, from RM185 million in 2018 to RM80 million this year, according to a comparison of budget speeches for both years.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari announced that only B40 households will receive free water.

The number of recipients who qualify is expected to drop further once Selangor finalises the number of households earning RM4,000 per month, according to the federal government’s database.

In 2018, RM72 million was earmarked for KISS, whereby RM200 per month was given to low-income mothers to buy groceries and toiletries at selected supermarkets.

In 2019, only RM50 million was allocated for the programme.

State executive councillor Siti Mariah Mahmud, who handles the welfare portfolio, said in 2018 and 2019, the state spent more than what was budgeted for KISS.

The number of recipients was maxed out at 40,000 in 2018, and the state ended up shelling out RM96 million.

On August 2, lawmakers approved an extra RM22 million for KISS, on top of the RM50 million allocated.

“After a review of the people receiving the aid, we found that a significant number were unqualified as they were no longer taking care of their children,” said Siti Mariah, who is also Sri Serdang assemblyman.

“KISS is meant for mothers to feed their children properly. So, we are weeding out the unqualified and assessing new applicants.”

She declined to say whether KISS will receive more money next year, adding that it will be a decision made soon by state excos. – August 31, 2019.