KUALA LUMPUR – The government continues to woo potential youth voters with a galore of goodies, with a significant amount of RM400 million allocated for the ePemula programme.
In tabling the Supply Bill 2023 in Parliament this afternoon, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said youth between 18 to 20 and full-time students over 21 will receive a RM200 in one-off e-wallet credit under the programme.
Tengku Zafrul said those in the M40 group with an annual income of less than RM100,000 will receive RM100 in e-wallet credit under the ePemula M40 initiative, which will benefit eight million people.
“RM20 million will also be allocated to build drag racing strips in the country,” he said.
To encourage more youths to delve into business, he said, a total of RM305 million is available for special loans to this group via SME Bank, Tekun, Mara, BSN, and Agrobank.
“Among them, RM50 million funding will also be provided through BSN for Skim Penjaja Muda Keluarga Malaysia, which offers loans of up to RM50,000 for 10,000 young individuals to generate their own income through businesses such as food trucks.”
In addition, Tengku Zafrul said, the government will also provide hiring incentives under the Social Security Organisation for employers to hire jobless youths who have been unemployed for over three months.
The incentive will also be extended to employers who hire technical and vocational education and training graduates.
The government, Tengku Zafrul said, will also extend the Pakej Remaja Keluarga Malaysia initiative, which offers 20GB mobile Internet packages for three months at RM30, until April next year.
The initiative was supposed to have ended in April this year but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob extended it to October.
Putrajaya has also agreed to bear licence fees under the MyPSV programme and B2 class motorcycle driving licence fees to help B40 youth who generate income through services such as taxis, buses, and e-hailing.
In July 2019, the Undi18 bill which lowered the minimum voting age to 18 was passed by the Parliament. The bill took effect on December 15, 2021. – The Vibes, October 7, 2022
