Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki urged the government on Tuesday to be cautious in defining T20 and M40 households, saying living costs and financial burdens differ sharply between urban and rural areas. [1, 2, 3]
He said a household earning RM13,000 a month in a big city could effectively fall into the M40 or even B40 group once expenses and dependents are counted. He pointed to an example of a teacher couple earning RM6,500 each, with three children in university or college and three more still in school, to show how quickly obligations add up. [1, 2, 3]
Asyraf said Mara looks at household burdens and actual living conditions before approving education financing or loans. He quoted his message in a post as saying: “Mara takes all these factors into account before approving financing.” [2]
His remarks came amid debate over the government’s plan to remove or review RON95 petrol subsidies for higher-income T20 households. One report said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had agreed in principle to cancel fuel subsidies for the T20 group, while another said the government was still refining the proposal and would announce a final result soon. [1, 2, 3]
The issue also followed a May 9 Umno Youth economic roundtable, where one report said Akmal Saleh proposed ending blanket RON95 subsidies and removing them for the T20 group. Asyraf posted his comments on Facebook on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur. [3]
Asyraf said the debate should reflect how households actually live, not just what they earn, and asked readers to consider the strain on a family with children studying in college and school when judging who should lose subsidised fuel. [1, 2, 3]
