PUTRAJAYA will give out Bantuan Sara Hidup Malaysia (BSH), also known as the Cost of Living Aid, ahead of the Hari Raya Haji celebrations starting August 15.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the payment will amount to RM1.6 billion, and involve 4.1 million recipients.

He said the aid will be given by the Pakatan Harapan federal government despite the nation’s RM1 trillion debt inherited from the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

“It must be stressed that the payment of RM1.6 billion will be made during a bad financial situation, where the government’s debt amounts to RM1 trillion due to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal and mismanagement,” he said in a statement today.

BSH is a rebranded 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), which was mooted by former prime minister Najib Razak.

Lim said BSH will benefit Malaysians preparing for Hari Raya Haji, which falls on August 21.

The DAP secretary-general said PH is committed to its election manifesto.

“Even though the goods and services tax has been abolished, the government is still not bankrupt, as alleged by the previous administration. Moreover, we can continue giving BSH even without the GST revenue.”

He said the government will continue providing fuel subsidies until the end of the year, despite the increase in the price of oil from US$52 to US$74 (RM208 to RM296) per barrel.

BR1M was drafted under the Economic Transformation Programme, Najib’s initiative to turn Malaysia into a high-income economy.

The aid, introduced in December 2011, was targeted at low-income households. A total of RM26.2 billion has been distributed since 2012, the year the programme began.

In BR1M’s inaugural year, RM2.1 billion was given to 4.2 million recipients. – August 3, 2018.