KUALA LUMPUR: Those in the B40 group who have lost income will receive a one-off cash aid of RM500 while recipients of the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) earning RM1,000 and below will get an additional payment of RM500 beginning this June.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the aid involving an allocation of RM1.2 billion for 2.4 million recipients was among the initiatives under the Strategic Programme to Empower the People and Economy (PEMERKASA) to assist those who have lost their income.

“In facing the current pandemic, the government will continue to look after the welfare of the people, especially those who are still adversely affected.

“The initiative this time is more focused on the vulnerable group, the disabled and those who have lost their jobs,” he said in the special announcement that was broadcast live by a number of major television stations and social media platforms today.

The two categories of aid recipients, aged between 21 and 60 years, need not register for the aid.

The payments will be made to their bank accounts after confirmation on their loss of income and cross-checking made through the systems of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Socso).

Individuals declared bankrupt will be given the leeway to open a bank account online to facilitate receiving the government aid by applying for it via e-mail to the Department of Insolvency which oversees their cases.

Any cash aid that is credited will not face any monthly deduction.

Muhyiddin said the government had also agreed to extend the protection enforcement period for inability to honour contractual obligations that would end on March 31 until June 30, besides expanding the types of contract involved.

He said that to enhance the aid programme for the vulnerable group in major cities across the country, the government had allocated RM100 million for the basic necessities aid programme through the cashless purchase initiative that would benefit 300,000 poor households.

To assist the homeless, he said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had set up Anjung Kelana in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur as a temporary refuge.

On the COVID-19 mySalam initiative, Muhyiddin said it had benefited over 70,000 people in the B40 group with a total payment RM40 million.

“To enhance the scheme, the B40 group is allowed to undergo home quarantine and in place of income, they qualify to receive RM50 per day for a maximum of 14 days, subject to confirmation by the medical officer,” he added.

The prime minister said the government would also allocate RM30 million to extend the mobile clinic health service programme to the whole country through the ‘KPT Prihatin, Komuniti Sejahtera (KRIS)’ propgramme in providing free basic medical examination and treatment to the locals.

Muhyiddin said the Social Welfare Department would be appointing 2,500 additional officers under the MySTEP initiative for the purpose of verifying the aid recipients.

PEMERKASA, costing RM20 billion, focuses on 20 strategic initiatives to propel economic growth, support businesses and continue with providing aid to targeted groups and sectors that are still affected by the pandemic.

-- BERNAMA