The statement by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah that the Government will ensure that all eligible households are not left out of receiving their RM500 aid under the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia Scheme (BR1M) will surely be well received.
This cash assistance for households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below was announced in the 2012 Budget presented to Parliament.
Judging from media reports, it is obvious that BR1M has received tremendous response, as many cash-strapped Malaysians, especially those in the low-income groups, are looking forward to the cash assistance.
It has been announced that application forms for BR1M are available in designated centres nationwide besides being downloadable from the Finance Ministry’s website.
The application will be vetted by the Inland Revenue Department (IRB) to assess eligibility, as the cash assistance is only for those households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below.
There are about 6.3 million households in Malaysia and it is estimated that 5.2 million households or 83% of the population qualify for BR1M.
What remains to be done is for the IRB to process each application speedily so that all those eligible are able to receive the much-needed one-off cash assistance to ease their financial burden.
The Second Finance Minister has also stated that action will be taken against those who claim the one-off RM500 aid if they do not qualify.
It will be a shame on those who try to take advantage of this scheme for the deserving when they are not eligible. These opportunists should be exposed.
The catch word is honesty, and Malaysians should be honest and sincere when registering themselves for the cash assistance.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE,
Kuala Lumpur.
(source: thestar online)
