Kuala Lampur, July 25 -- I took A-Level Economics 40 years ago. A topic that has stayed with me since then is the "multiplier effect".

What is the multiplier effect in economics?

The multiplier is the number of times larger the change in income is, compared to the change in net injections that caused it.

The multiplier effect states that an initial injection of spending or investment (usually by the government) leads to increased consumption spending and so results in an increase in national income greater than the initial amount of spending.

For example, if the government spends a one-off cash aid of RM100 for all Malaysians aged 18 and above, to be used to purchase necessities from over 4,100 outlets including hypermarkets such as M...