Timely aid for 200 families
Each household to get RM80 a month for one year to buy essentials
REMBAU: Two hundred needy families here became the first in the nation to benefit from a collaboration between the Government’s National Transformation (TN50) initiative and MyKasih Foundation where each household will be getting RM80 a month for one year to buy essential foodstuff.
Another 200 pupils from poor families studying in four primary schools in the Rembau constituency will each receive RM60 a month to spend in the school canteen and bookshop.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who gave the good news to the recipients, said he was glad that the Government’s TN50 initiatives were already bearing fruit.
“In the many dialogues I had with youths, they wished that the Government will provide more assistance to all needy Malaysians irrespective of race or religion.
“Today, I am glad to say that we are already seeing the results of these dialogues and doing our bit to help those in need by working together with MyKasih Foundation,” he said at the event held at Dewan Seri Rembau.
Also present was MyKasih Foundation chief executive officer Jeffrey Pereira.
Khairy said one member from each family would be able to buy provisions such as rice, flour, sugar, canned food and biscuits from two stores here and would only have to produce his or her MyKad to make the payment.
“MyKasih has a system where the monthly aid will be automatically uploaded into the individual’s account and all the holder needs to do is to have the MyKad swiped when making payment.
“The amount will be automatically deducted from his account and another RM80 will be uploaded the following month,” he said.
The pupils will be given a smart card and they will only have to produce it when buying food at the canteen or the bookshop.
The canteens and bookshops of the four schools will have their own devices to monitor how much the pupil uses for the month.
Any extra amount can be carried forward to the following month.
Khairy commended MyKasih Foundation for the effort and expressed hope that more companies and individuals would work with it to help the people.
Since its setting up in 2009, the foundation has given RM200mil cash aid to some 245,000 families and 16,000 pupils nationwide.
Pereira said to date, some 50 companies had worked with the foundation to help the needy.
“We welcome more companies to join us so that we can reach out to more needy families nationwide,” he added.
The TN50 policy document – an expression of what youths want Malaysia to look like in 2050 – will outline the economic, social, cultural and environmental targets Malaysia aims to achieve in the next 32 years.