Wealthier Malaysians gripe as Anwar’s ‘pro-poor’ budget hits them in the pocket

But cuts to petrol subsidies for richer drivers and tax hikes to pay for a wage increase for low earners have been met with anger and anxiety by many Malaysians, specifically among those who barely qualify as the top 15 per cent of income earners – or T15 group.

Households earning a combined monthly income of 13,295 ringgit (US$3,150) are classified by Malaysian authorities as “T15” – a group which then includes the highest earners, better equipped to digest price hikes and loss of subsidies.

“You should remove subsidies and raise taxes on those who earn over 50k a month,” read a Facebook comment by user Amirul Zamir. “You can’t place the same bracket on people who earn 20k with those earning 200k a month.”