GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government has directed all state assemblymen to reach out to senior citizens, single mothers and housewives to claim their money from the state’s cash aid programme for the groups, after payments for a total of some RM6 million failed.
State Welfare and Environmental Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the state government wants the assemblymen and their service centre staff to go to the ground to reach eligible recipients to help them to claim the sums due to them.
“We want to make sure that they do not miss the opportunity to get the state aid, especially the vulnerable groups,” he said when contacted by The Vibes today.
Phee was asked to explain his statement yesterday that unclaimed amounts will not be carried forward to the following year and that the beneficiaries’ names will be struck off from the lists of eligible recipients.
He stressed that the state wants to pay out the cash to the eligible recipients and not deny the due payments.
“So we have asked the assemblymen, their staff and volunteers to reach out and trace the eligible recipients to (help them) obtain the money,” he said.
“We are confident that more people will respond by updating their bank accounts online or by visiting the assemblymens’ service centres to obtain the money.”
He added that 33,288 people were eligible under the aid schemes, but the electronic transfer of the money to their accounts had bounced because the accounts were closed or dormant, or wrong account numbers were given.
The state has given the recipients until April 7 to update their bank accounts.
The state government switched from giving physical cash to transferring money electronically in 2020 because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Phee said repeated attempts had been made to inform recipients through phone calls, texts, and via social media.
“Those who have not received their dues in 2020 and 2021 can make an appeal and we will consider paying the aid for those two years.
A total of nearly RM49 million was paid out earlier this year to 230,062 eligible recipients under Penang’s i-Sejahtera programme.
Phee said that 28,474 senior citizens, 3,802 housewives and 1,012 single mothers have yet to claim their money.
Under the programme, senior citizens are given RM150 per year, while housewives and single mothers get RM100.
Those eligible can update their details or register for the programme at the iSejahtera web portal here. – The Vibes, April 3, 2022.
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