KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition member of parliament has cautioned the government against making the people overly reliant on cash assistance.
Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PN-Pasir Puteh) said the government should focus more on empowering recipients to become self-sufficient through productive support.
He said the people should be provided tools and equipment that could help them generate income over the long term instead of relying excessively on direct cash assistance.
"If we have an allocation to help the people, give them a fishing rod, not fish.
"If we give them a fishing rod, we teach them how to provide for themselves. If we only give them subsidies, the fish, it teaches them to become lazy," he said when debating the Supply Bill 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat.
Nik Zawawi said the government should educate and empower the people to create opportunities and work towards improving their livelihoods.
"If we give them money, they may spend it all within a week. But if we give them pots, pans, machinery and equipment, they can use these tools for years and may be able to improve their lives," he said.
He said he had examined the 2027 Budget carefully but felt that allocations aimed at empowering the people remained insufficient.
"I do not deny that there are groups who need financial assistance. Single mothers with many children who find it difficult to work, the sick and persons with disabilities, including the blind, need financial support."
However, Nik Zawawi said the government should review its spending priorities to ensure that assistance provided genuine benefits to recipients and society as a whole.
"I believe the government needs to study this carefully to ensure that whatever we distribute in this country truly benefits the people and the wider community," he said.
He said the government should seek a balance between providing immediate assistance and helping recipients become economically independent.
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