Ministry to coordinate distribution of aid allowance

KOTA KINABALU: The Rural Development Ministry will be responsible for coordinating the distribution of special assistance allowances to the poor and hardcore poor as well as the B40 low-income group in the state under the Covid-19 Assistance Package.

Its minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said the allocation under the state government is aimed at reducing the burden of Sabahans affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 particularly during the Movement Control Order (MCO) that began on March 18.

“The ministry is tasked with coordinating the distribution of aid to those listed in the e-Kasih, farmers, fishermen as well as the B40 Group as proposed by various departments and agencies.

“The list of names we have now have already been registered with various departments and agencies. For example, we got the list of names in e-Kasih from Sabah Development Office (SDO), B40 group from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), farmers and fishermen from the Agriculture Department, Ko-Nelayan and other related agencies,” he said when met by reporters at his residence yesterday.

Ewon, who is also Kadamaian assemblyman, urged the people listed in the category to contact their respective district offices or relevant departments to ensure their names are in the list of recipients.

“The public can also contact the district office or the relevant department, for example if you are a hill farmer and have received previous paddy subsidy assistance, your name is already on the recipient list and should be eligible for this assistance,” he said.

Ewon said his ministry would implement online payments to eligible Sabahans starting yesterday (March 30).

“Currently, we are still awaiting official data from a number of relevant departments and agencies. When all is done, the ministry will initiate online payments to those with bank accounts.

“For those who do not have a bank account, we will ask the district offices to deliver the assistance to the recipients in their respective areas,” he said, adding that the payment will take some time as it needs to be finalized to ensure there is no overlapping of names.

Ewon said the state government has also allocated RM20 million for Special Aid Allowance to the poor and the hardcore poor.

“To ease the difficulties faced by these groups in meeting their daily needs, the State Government has provided a one-off payment amounting RM500 to the poor and hardcore poor households registered in the e-Kasih system.

“This assistance includes an allocation of RM20 million which is expected to benefit 22,456 poor and 15,747 hardcore poor households throughout Sabah,” he said.

Ewon called on all MPKK chairmen across Sabah to collect the information of the beneficiary banks from those already on the e-Kasih list to submit to all district offices.

Meanwhile, for the B40 low income group, the state government has allocated RM80 million. They will receive a one-off cash assistance of RM300 per person.

“The State Government is concerned and cares about the hardships faced by low-income Sabahans from the B40 group and the vulnerable groups.

“These include Sabahans working in Peninsular Malaysia (30,000 people); taxi drivers (13,132), farmers or small farmers; fishermen and breeders (169,630), porter and mountaineer (339); and vulnerable groups such as the elderly; orphans; People with Disabilities (62,638); and single mothers (6,500) throughout Sabah,” he said.