One-off RM500 aid for bus, taxi drivers disburse beginning today - Tengku Zafrul

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the assistance under the Malaysian Economic and Rakyat's Protection Assistance Package involved about 110,000 people with a total allocation of RM55 million.

"Some 20,000 taxi and rental car drivers have received the assistance which has been credited into the accounts of the drivers involved, while the remaining 15,000 will receive the assistance in stages by March 15, 2021," he said in a statement, tonight.

Tengku Zafrul explained that the remaining 75,000 recipients including drivers of e-hailing vehicles, school and sightseeing buses will receive the assistance in stages from Feb 26.

He expressed hope that the assistance would help the target group while the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) is implemented.

"PICK certainly represents the starting point for the recovery of the tourism sector and other sectors that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the one-time financial aid under PERMAI for the drivers on Jan 18.