Applications for welfare aid to reach 1.5 million - Rina

KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) is expecting welfare assistance applications to rise three folds to 1.5 million following the new national poverty line income (PLI) limit set in July.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Rina Harun said currently the national PLI limit is RM2,208 per month compared to RM980 adopted since 2005.

She said the new limit was based on calculations made according to the methodology in 2019 which was seen as being more realistic to the people now.

“As a result, the national poverty rate rose to 5.6 per cent, this is the reality of the people presently. We (government) took into consideration the livelihood and diet of the people, and as such my ministry is expecting more would be eligible to apply for the various assistance programmes of the ministry.

“So far, there are almost 400,000 monthly aid recipients from the Social Welfare Department which is based on the earlier PLI of RM980,” she said.

She said this in the “Temu Minda: Kebajikan Rakyat Dalam Cabaran COVID-19” programme aired live via the Communications and Multimedia Ministry Facebook site. It was hosted by the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

Meanwhile, Rina said many were affected by current the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of income, and therefore KPWKM has prepared an online course to help the people generate income through business.

“Alhamdulilah…when they change their business approach from conventional to online, there was significant improvement in income for the online traders,” she said.

Rina said starting this month, KPWKM would be holding the “Zero to Million” programme to guide women especially single mothers who wish to go into business.

“The ministry has taken the initiative to assist and 100,000 women are expected to join the programme,” she said.

-- BERNAMA