KUALA LUMPUR: Individuals whose names were left out of the list of recipients of the Bakul Prihatin Negara assistance have been urged to immediately contact their elected representatives or community leaders or to enable aid to be sent to them as soon as possible.

Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said that the assistance programme was an added value to the Food Basket Assistance programme launched by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government since the pandemic hit the country, to help those affected regardless of race and political affiliation.

"Under the Bakul Prihatin Negara programme, launched on July 15, more than 60,000 baskets have been distributed, which has benefited more than 200,000 households nationwide.

"The government's intention is to help people affected by the pandemic. So, let us work together to restore the country," he said via a post on his official Facebook account today.

He said under the Malaysian Economic and Rakyat's Protection Assistance Package (PERMAI) alone, 500,000 Food Baskets had been distributed involving an allocation of RM50 million.

According to him, on July 1, under the National People's Well-being and Economic Recovery Package (PEMULIH), a total of RM66.6 million was allocated for Food Basket Assistance, at the rate of RM300,000 per MP, regardless of government or opposition party.

Muhyiddin also said that he visited the Sungai Raya Penghulu Complex, Muar, Johor, today, to present wet food donations and the Bakul Prihatin Negara to 50 village heads around Pagoh and Muar.

A total of 1,000 baskets were provided for distribution by the village heads, along with Prihatin Negara volunteers, to the local community, in addition to wet items such as vegetables, fish and chicken.

-- BERNAMA