PEMANDU LOOKING AT MEASURES TO ASSIST THOSE EARNING BELOW US$335 TO FACE PRICE INCREASE

IPOH (Malaysia), Aug 23 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government has directed
the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) to study measures to
assist those earning below RM3,000 (US$335) (US$1=RM2.99( in facing the problem
of increasing prices of goods and services.

Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the decision
was made at a Cabinet discussion recently which felt that a mechanism needed to
be created to assist this group.

"Pemandu is now scrutinising the study to be formulated into a data base
through a special laboratory set up for this purpose," he told reporters after
attending a function to hand over 'Teman 1 Azam' organised by the Women, Family
and Community Development Ministry, and handing over of aid in conjunction with
Aidilfitri, here Sunday.

He said the laboratory would submit a summary on the study within the next
two weeks, and this would be handed over to the Finance Ministry before being
reviewed again for inclusion into the Budget 2012.

"We expect that Pemandu would complete the whole report within the next two
weeks for submission to Prime Minister Najib Razak for further
action," he said.

Ahmad Husni said the government took a serious view of the matter because
the Cabinet felt that the group earning below RM3,000 were greatly affected by
the price increases occurring now.