Selangor has announced a RM127.78 million COVID-19 Selangor Concerned Stimulus Package to ease the economic burden of those adversely affected with the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) from March 18 until March 31.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said through the stimulus package, 6,000 medical frontliners in nine hospitals throughout the state will receive a RM200 incentive each as one-off payment soon.

He added a total of RM1.2 million allocated for this purpose as a gesture of appreciation for the services and sacrifices in the fight against the pandemic.

"A total of 2,500 Selangor-born students who are currently studying in Sabah and Sarawak and unable to return to their hometowns due to the MCO, will also receive an incentive of RM200 as one-off payment.

"For other students from Selangor studying at other higher education institutions such as Universiti Selangor, Kolej Agama Islam Selangor and Kolej Industri Pendidikan Negeri Selangor (INPENS), a free food programme will be implemented from Sunday (March 22) until March 31," he said in a press conference here today.

Amirudin said both incentives involved an allocation of RM2.3 million.

The state government has also deferred rental payment for a month involving 80,000 traders and hawkers within Selangor to ease their burden after losing a source of income.

In fact, he said, the state government had allocated RM40 million that would be distributed as special cash aid of RM500 each to affected traders and hawkers.

"The government will bear the cost of RM12 million following the exemption of rental payment for the affected businesses and the one-off payment will be distributed from April 1 to April 30 after the MCO period ends," he said, adding these traders and hawkers must apply for the cash aid.

Amirudin said the state government also announced a three-month deferment of loan repayments of HIJRAH Selangor programme involving 40,000 borrowers with total financial liabilities of RM70 million.

Also benefitting from the stimulus package were 2,700 participants of Selangor Smart Sewa scheme as the state government deferred a three-month lease payment, involving financial liability of RM600,000.

"For all the land taxpayers, the state government provides a one-month grace period," he said, adding that due date extended to June 30.

Amirudin said all 56 Selangor state assemblymen will be given an allocation of RM30,000 each to carry out their community welfare programmes for individuals or families affected by the MCO.

Meanwhile, in KELANTAN, the state government has allocated RM5 million as a special allocation to combat COVID-19, said its Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.

The special allocation would also be used to ease the burden of poor people following the spread of the outbreak, he said.

The method and the implementation will be ironed out and announced later, he said in a statement today. -- BERNAMA