First payment of BR1M 2017 to settle by next week

KUALA LUMPUR: All recipients of last year’s 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) will be receiving the first of BR1M 2017 payment latest by March 17.

In a statement here yesterday, the Finance Ministry said the recipients of the first payment would include 705,562 applicants whose applications were rejected for having licences under the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

However, the applicants with SSM licences would still have to submit a statement of income or bank account to the Inland Revenue Board during the appeal period until May 31 for verification.

According to the statement, failure to submit the necessary documents might cause the subsequent BR1M 2017 payment could not be proceeded.

A total of 6,320,769 applications for the BR1M 2017 were approved, involving an allocation of RM5.41 billion.

BR1M includes RM1,200 each to 3,242,048 households earning RM3,000 and less a month; RM900 each to 291,918 households earning between RM3,001 and RM4,000 a month; and RM450 each to 2,786,803 individuals earning below RM2,000 a month.

Meanwhile, some 300 recipients of BR1M turned up to collect the monetary aid in Putatan yesterday.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussin said the recipients were of all races and religions which showed that the present government was impartial to everyone.

“This is the proof that the government cares about the people … we are hoping that the recipients will use the money to ease their burden,” he said.

Yahya added that every year, there were 2,000 BR1M recipients in Putatan.

However, he said that the recipients were not merely from the district but also from other nearby districts.

Yahya also explained that BR1M was not a form of corruption, as alleged by members of the opposition.

“It shows we care about helping the people. And the people are grateful for the assistance. This is something that should be done by the government,” he said.