KUALA LUMPUR: There is no need for holders of OKU card issued by the Social Welfare Department (JKM) to renew the card every year to enable them to obtain financial assistance on a monthly basis.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said the cardholders were only required to renew the card if there was a change in the category or sub-category of disabilities as well as contact information such as address.

She said this in response to a question from Natrah Ismail (PH-Sekijang) on the matter at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Meanwhile, Siti Zailah said based on statistics, 582,944 persons with disabilities (PwD) had registered with JKM, as of Sept 30.

She said from 2018 to Oct 13 this year, a total of 163,647 applications were received by JKM, and of that total 153,627 people had their applications approved.

As of last August, she said some 92,265 disabled workers with an income of RM1,500 and below received the monthly allowance of RM450, while 83,929 others were recipients of assistance for the jobless PwDs.

"Apart from that, a total of 25,835 caregivers of PwDs or bedridden patients received Assistance for OKU Care and Bedridden Chronic Patients (BPT) amounting to RM106.8 million as of last August," she said.

-- BERNAMA