Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah said the matter was among the key focuses of the second pillar of the consensus proposed by Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin – shared prosperity – which aims to ensure equitable prosperity in Malaysia.
“The reassessment of the B40, M40, and T20 classifications will be considered because the informal economy and some forms of labour akin to modern-day slavery are not being taken into account,” he said in his Merentas Ruang column published by Sinar Harian.
Last week, Umno Youth passed a resolution during a national roundtable discussion calling for the withdrawal of petrol subsidies for the T20 group. The proposal will be brought to the party leadership before being discussed by the Cabinet.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also reported as saying that the government would finalise a proposal to review petrol subsidies for high-income earners, subject to further study.
However, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki urged the government to exercise caution in implementing targeted petrol subsidies, saying gross income criteria alone is no longer relevant in showing the true financial capability of a household, especially in major cities.
Saifuddin said the new national consensus, introduced in May 2025, also placed food security, income, and housing guarantees as the main foundations of national development.
“All three are top priorities, and in fact determine other policies,” he said in explaining the commitment to protecting the people and their right to succeed.
“The people are free to carry out activities that do not contravene religion, culture, or the law in order to become wealthy,” he said.
He also stressed the need to address education poverty, particularly as many primary school pupils have yet to master literacy and numeracy skills.
Saifuddin said the country’s wealth must translate into the well-being of the people, as a wealthy nation meant little if its citizens remained poor.
He added that national development under the consensus would be balanced across all sectors, fields, regions, races, and groups, implemented sustainably without damaging the environment.
He said development policies must also be based on the actual needs of the people, rather than the interests of corporations, government-linked companies, policymakers, or political agendas that lead to the wastage of funds through white elephant projects.