The Borneo Post (Sabah)

Discount cards, free life insurance for single mums

- By Shalina Roseni

PUTATAN: The Malaysia National Single Mothers Associatio­n (PITKM) will be distributi­ng discount cards to its members and is working towards getting free life insurance coverage for the single mothers in the associatio­n.

Its president, Datuk Melati Ali, said the discount card had already been approved by the government and the list of names would be forwarded to them after applicatio­ns from its associatio­n at each parliament­ary level in the 13 states have been collected during the national general meeting on April 17.

“The government has approved the discount card but I have not yet received the list of names. We will gather all the names of members through Malaysia and submit them collective­ly,” said Melati.

The cards will enable their members to purchase items such as school uniforms and food with a 25% discount at various business premises selected by the government throughout the nation.

She said so far only members from PITKM Melaka have received the discount cards.

“Our associatio­n is also striving to get free life insurance coverage promised by the government to single mothers. It has not been implemente­d yet as there are no insurance body that has been appointed for it.

“PITKM will acquire recommenda­tions to get an insurance company that will give them the lowest rates without compromisi­ng the insurance coverage,” said the president.

Melati highlighte­d that the associatio­n, who would like to manage the insurance through the PITKM foundation, will focus the coverage on hospitaliz­ation and death at the first stage.

In the future, she said the associatio­n might extend the coverage to health assistance and so forth.

Last year, the associatio­n launched its PITKM cardin Melaka to help members eliminate red tape and get automatic assistance, such as zakat and contributi­ons, from religious department­s, community welfare bodies and elected representa­tives’ office.

“The card is a license for our members to get assistance. It is similar to an identifica­tion card as it will verify the status and membership of single mother sunder the associatio­n,” said Melati.

The RM3 membership card, registered according to parliament­ary constituen­cy in the country, must be returned to the registered office should any of the members were to get married.

The three-year-old associatio­n, which aims to help and support single mothers, is open to all.

Widowed mothers, women abandoned by husbands, women who have husbands working far away from home for long period of time, women who have husbands who are rendered incapable of providing for the household due to incurable medical conditions, and women aged 45 and above who have at least one child and who do not plan to get married again, are among those qualified to join, said the PITKM president.

 ??  ?? Melati proudly holding up the PITKM membership card that was launched last year by the associatio­n.She is flanked by the newly establishe­d PITKM Sabah chairman Datuk Rosimah Zakaria (centre) and the deputy chairman (right).
Melati proudly holding up the PITKM membership card that was launched last year by the associatio­n.She is flanked by the newly establishe­d PITKM Sabah chairman Datuk Rosimah Zakaria (centre) and the deputy chairman (right).

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