Anwar: Govt May Raise T15 Threshold To RM15,000 Or RM20,000
He also told critics not to be a champion for the ultra-wealthy.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Oct 2024, 04:02 PM
The government may raise the threshold for the high-income group known as the T15 from its current level of RM13,000 to RM15,000 or 20,000 a month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat
The move, he said today, 29 October, is being discussed as part of a broader effort by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) to refine the classification to better align with the cost of living.
"Some have raised allegations about confusing definitions (of T15), this is not true," Anwar told the Parliament during the Prime Minister's Question Time.
"I have listened to the remarks made by the economy minister and the (second) finance minister. What we said was, DOSM set RM13,000 (as the threshold for the T15 group), and we think this is quite low."
"So we are thinking of raising (the threshold) to RM15,000 or perhaps RM20,000," he said, adding that the matter is still being discussed, while responding to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) about the definition of the T15 group in the context of targeted subsidies for RON95 fuel.
The topic of the T15 definition has attracted significant attention since the recent Budget 2025 announcement, which specified that the group would no longer qualify for fuel or full education subsidies
Opposition MPs including Nik Zawawi and Mohd Radzi Md Jidin have claimed that various cabinet members appeared to be presenting different thresholds, creating public confusion over the eligibility criteria, arguing the ambiguity surrounding the T15 definition complicates public understanding of the policy.
Anwar also reiterated that the government's decision to exclude the T15 and foreign nationals from specific subsidies was intentional, emphasising that government resources should be directed towards those most in need.
He said the government will continue to protect the interests of 85% of Malaysians amid the implementation of targeted subsidies for RON95 petrol, which is slated to take effect in mid-next year.
Anwar told critics not to be a champion for the ultra-wealthy
According to him, while he could accept that the government should not burden those earning less than the T20 group, there are those who still earned hundreds of thousands or millions monthly.
"When we defend the T15 as a whole, this includes those who earn RM100,000 or RM1 million a month," he said, adding that RON95 fuel subsidy rationalisation was necessary as the government spends RM20 billion on subsidies annually.
