PUTRAJAYA: Negative perceptions are putting blinders on the fact that Malaysia's economy is healthy and sustainable to weather the global economic uncertainty.
Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said the country was not in trouble and ready to face this year's challenges.
"Our economy is manageable. Our debts are manageable," he told reporters at a briefing on the country's economy and the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) programme today.
He said circulation of negative perceptions by some quarters including the alternative media had created unnecessary jìtters regarding the country's economy.
On the ringgit, Irwan believed it would improve by mid-year and stressed that apart from ringgit, other currencies too had weakened.
He attributed the weak ringgit to several factors including the strengtening of the greenback following the development in the United States that saw Donald Trump winning the presidency and promises which had strengthened the US economy.
"But, it is a short term phenomena and (ringgit) will stabilise by mid-year," he said.
On BR1M, he said the government would continue to improve the programme so that recipients could break out of the B40 income bracket and move towards M40.
He listed some of the measures expected this year including helping BR1M recipients who had no vehicle to own a car, adding that talks between relevant parties including Proton Holdings Bhd and Bank Simpanan Nasional were still ongoing.
Irwan also rubbished claims that BR1M was a form of bribery, saying that it was the government's effort to somewhat ease the financial burden of some of the seven million Malaysians.
"Others including Indonesia, Australia and even the United States have their own social aid programmes for their people.
"(Opposition-ruled) Penang and Selangor governments also have their own programmes to help those in their states." he said.