KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the government allocated RM400 million to Kelantan last year, making it among the states to receive the highest amount.

Najib who is also Finance Minister said the sum did not include allocation given to state agencies, compassionate funds and allocations under the 11th Malaysia Plan.

“All RM400 million go into the state government's coffers; actually this assistance to Kelantan is among the highest that we are giving even though Kelantan is not under Barisan Nasional,” he told the Dewan Rakyat here today.

Najib said this during the question and answer session in response to Nasrudin Hassan (PAS-Temerloh) who wanted to know whther the RM400 million allocation to Kelantan was only meant for the state government alone or also for other agencies.

Earlier responding to Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz (PAS-Pasir Mas) on the government's willingness to provide funds for Kelantan to implement its “Green Kitchen” programme, Najib said the government encouraged every effort to assist the people.

“We gave RM400 million in 2015, that's not little. We hope the state government would disburse it for programmes that benefit the people,” he said.

To a supplementary question from Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali (BN-Bagan Serai), Najib cited lack of education or skill as one setback to a better living standard.

“If we only have SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), no diploma, no degree or skill, we cannot get a job with good income.

“So we must plant in the minds of our people that they should strive for higher qualification,” he said.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said in response to Nik Mohamad Abduh pertaining to the rising cost of living, that the governnment had taken several measures to help the people.

He mentioned 1Malaysia People's Aid, Education Aid, 1Malaysia People's Shop, 1Malaysia Clinic and 1Malaysia Book Voucher for the lower and middle income groups, as among the initiatives.

Aside from that, Najib said, the government had also set a minimum monthly wage of RM1,000 in the peninsula, RM920 in Sabah, Sarawak and Federal Territory of Labuan, and RM1,200 for civil servants beginning July.

He said the government also offered incentives through individual tax exemption and reduction of Employees Provident Fund contribution so that the people would have more money in hand.

“The government's approach which is holistic, short-term and long-term will indirectly help to spur the country's economic growth and contribute to a national social structure that is more conducive and progressive,” he said. ― Bernama