M1 refers to the bottom 10% of those categorised in the M40 group.

Eddin told the Dewan Rakyat that the M1 group comprises those earning between RM4,850 and RM5,880 a month.

“The latest government aid measure, BKM, is only for those earning under RM5,000 a month.

“So in the M1 category, from this 10% (of the M40), only 14% are eligible for BKM aid,” he said in response to a question from Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah).

Other measures were available for the M40 under the 2022 budget, he said, including various tax breaks and exemptions as well as withdrawal facilities for Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account holders.

Eddin said the statistics department found that the average monthly household income of Malaysians had dropped by 10.3% to RM7,089 last year, compared to RM7,901 in 2019.

Meanwhile, 2% of the M40, or around 600,000 households, have dropped into the B40 due to the pandemic.

Another study on the average household income will be conducted next year, he said.

Responding to a suggestion from Che Abdullah Mat Nawi (PAS-Tumpat) to utilise geographical profiling to ensure more strategic aid measures, Eddin said this was among the proposals being studied by Putrajaya.

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