FT Ministry expands MY5 Programme with aim of eradicating urban poverty

Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the 2021 programme covered the aspects of employment through MYJob @ Wilayah, schooling (MYSchoolBus @ Wilayah), basic necessities (MYGrocer @ Wilayah), food (MYFood @ Wilayah) and medicine (MYMedic @ Wilayah).

"We started this programme (around the middle of) last year on a trial and ad-hoc basis in a small capacity, so this year, we will run the programme more widely," he said during the ‘Ruang Bicara’ programme aired on Bernama TV last night.

He said MYJob @ Wilayah would offer more than 3,000 job opportunities to city dwellers, especially those affected by COVID-19, in six areas of employment, namely services, construction, maintenance, cleaning, manufacturing and packaging.

Meanwhile, he said the MYSchoolBus @ Wilayah initiative, which aims to help ease the transportation expenses of school children from the low-income group, will be expanded to 158 low-cost public and private housing areas involving almost 10,000 students.

Annuar said the ministry was also targeting to expand the MYGrocer @ Wilayah programme - which offers the B40 target group to buy kitchen items at prices up to 20 per cent lower - to 158 public and private low-cost housing areas as well as traditional villages around the capital.

"I also hope for more response and strategic cooperation from the private sector to make MYFood @ Wilayah a success in ensuring that free food assistance can be enjoyed by more people in need," he said.

He added that MYMedic @ Wilayah which provides basic treatment and free screening through mobile clinics to the less fortunate city dwellers on a weekly basis, will also be expanded to more areas.

Apart from that, Annuar said the ministry had planned a rice contribution programme through MYBeras @ Wilayah, which will be implemented from Feb 1 until June this year, to alleviate the burden of Federal Territories residents affected by COVID-19.

He said for a start, 23,000 bags of rice donated by corporate bodies and the public will be distributed three times a week through the Federal Territory Residents Representative Council.