GOVT CASH AID TO EASE PEOPLES’ FINANCIAL BURDEN
Bantuan Keluarga malaysia to help the rakyat meet rising living costs
EARLY this year, the government announced that the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) programme in 2022 would benefit over 9.6 million recipients with an allocation of Rm8.2bil – an increase from 8.6 million recipients and the Rm7bil allocation under Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat last year.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was intent on prioritising the welfare of the people by providing cash aid, of which three payments have already been made this year. The first phase of BKM payouts was done in stages from March 28, the second stage from June 27, and the third from Sept 20.
Ismail Sabri said then that the government has always been sensitive to the needs of the people and would continue to be committed to the wellbeing of Keluarga Malaysia.
The Keluarga Malaysia concept formed under the premiership of Ismail Sabri consolidates racial unity, and prioritises the welfare of the people by providing assistance to all Malaysians. It is a symbol of the government’s commitment towards advancing unity in shaping a brighter future for the country.
The decision to provide financial assistance was made after taking into consideration rising living costs and food prices. The fourth phase of payments of up to RM900 according to the recipients’ eligibility has been scheduled to be made from Nov 15 to 18.
The Star reported last week that approximately 5.2 million recipients consisting of households and single senior citizens would benefit from the payment which is expected to amount to Rm2.1bil.
BKM is a direct cash aid initiative which was first announced during Budget 2022 to assist those in need, especially the B40 group, to help them recover post-pandemic and to ease the burden of a high cost of living.
In March this year, about 8.6 million recipients received payments of between RM100 and RM300. These recipients comprised four million households, including 1.2 million senior citizens (single or whose spouse has passed away) and 3.4 million single individuals.
“I am a senior citizen and these payments from the government really help me a lot,” said pensioner V. Sara in her 80s who lives alone.
“Every little bit counts, even RM100. Things have become so expensive. As a pensioner, I already get medical benefits and a monthly pension. So this is a bonus,” she said.
Single parent Wani Alaney in her 40s said the government’s financial assistance was appreciated as escalating costs and the Covid-19 pandemic had made things tough for her family of three.
“The last two years have been a real struggle. This sort of cash aid really helps us and we are very grateful for however much we get,” she said.
Highest cash aid
In June this year, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said that the BKM was the highest direct cash aid in the country’s history compared to the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) and Bantuan Sara Hidup programmes.
Tengku Zafrul also said that approved BKM applicants would receive up to RM2,600 per family this year, compared to BR1M (RM1,200) and Bantuan Sara Hidup (RM1,480). This is an increase of 120% since the cash aid initiative was introduced, as there are a total of 8.6 million BKM recipients as compared with 4.5 million Bantuan Sara Hidup recipients.
“This increase is because the eligibility limit to receive BKM has been raised. Bantuan Sara Hidup was given to those with income of less than RM4,000 per month, while BKM is given to those with less than RM5,000,” Tengku Zafrul said.
In Budget 2023, he announced that the existing BKM cash assistance programme would be enhanced to assist underprivileged and B40 households.
He stated that households earning less than RM2,500 and caring for five or more children would be eligible for cash assistance of RM2,500.
Households earning a similar amount and providing for up to four children will receive between RM1,000 and RM2,000 in cash aid.
Households with income of between RM2,500 and RM5,000 will also be given cash assistance of RM500 to RM1,250, depending on the number of children they have.
Aside from that, single individuals and single senior citizens will also continue to receive cash allowances of between RM350 and RM600, depending on their income.
When the BKM was first announced in 2021, The Star reported about single father C.B. Hoe, 60, who was having a tough time raising three young children on his meagre salary as a coffee shop helper. Getting the BKM money was a relief.
“I have three children who are still schooling. My rental, electricity bill, as well as the cost of ensuring my children have proper virtual learning materials are a huge burden, and I really need some help,” he said.
Phase 4 which is the final BKM payment this year has been accelerated and is scheduled to be credited into recipients’ bank accounts starting from Nov 15.
Just last week, Ismail Sabri was reported as saying that the payment which was originally scheduled for December was being expedited to help recipients prepare for the north-east monsoon.
The north-east monsoon has been forecast to start anytime now, and will continue until March next year. The Malaysian Meteorological Department said that during this period, between four and six monsoon episodes could potentially bring continuous heavy rain. These monsoon rains have been known to cause floods in low-lying areas and areas next to rivers in the past.
Other benefits
On top of the cash aid, in July this year it was also announced that eligible BKM recipients would be able to redeem their RM75 Perlindungan Tenang Voucher at only RM5 while the remainder RM70 would be borne by the government to enable recipients to have the assurance of insurance/ takaful coverage that provides financial protection in the event of death, fire or other unfortunate events.
Perlindungan Tenang Voucher is a government initiative to extend social protection to the lower-income group. It was launched in 2021 and offered to eligible Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat and BKM recipients.
Prior to this, the mysalam insurance scheme which began in 2019 approved claims covering critical illnesses and hospitalisation worth Rm734mil to 1.5 million individuals from low-income households, including 500,000 individuals who received a total of Rm330mil in Covid-19 compensation.
There’s no doubt that the government has been consistently making concerted efforts to be sensitive to the needs of the people, especially the lower income group, and has been committed to ensuring the well-being of the Keluarga Malaysia.