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Key Highlights
Najib a step closer to house arrest?
Budget 2025: T15 vs the 85pct
Budget goodies
Najib a step closer to house arrest?
Former premier Najib Abdul Razak may be one step closer to being placed under house arrest.
Tucked away in an unread part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Budget 2025 speech was a mention that the government will introduce a law on house arrests next year.
The unread parts of the budget speech are still codified in the Budget 2025 text that the Dewan Rakyat is currently debating.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that the cabinet had already given the house arrest law the thumbs-up and that the Attorney-General’s Chambers and Prisons Department are currently drafting the legislation.
While he said 20,000 prisoners would be eligible for house arrest, speculation is rife that Najib will be among them.
Najib claims that the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong granted him house arrest, a claim the government has not yet refuted.
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Budget 2025: T15 vs the 85pct
Budget 2025 is setting the stage for the country to be divided between the haves and have-nots.
Or rather, those who will get subsidies and those who will not.
From RON95 to public healthcare and education, the “T15” will have to dig deeper into their wallets next year.
But with the T15 not yet defined, there appears to be some fear among the middle class on whether they will be affected.
Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli, however, assured that economic classifications won’t just be based on gross household income as before, indicating that commitments and locality - among other factors - will be considered.
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Budget goodies
Plenty of goodies were announced under Budget 2025.
One of the most notable was that almost all Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) recipients will also get RM900 in Rahmah Necessities Aid to help keep the pantry stocked.
For taxpayers, there are also a slew of tax reliefs, including when you help take care of your grandparents.
Meanwhile, the minimum wage will be increased to RM1,700.
However, not everyone is happy with the amount, with PSM arguing that the minimum wage hike was higher under the Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration.
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Views that matter
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