BERA, July 26 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry expects a three-fold increase in the number of recipients for its Welfare Department (JKM) benefits in line with the revision of the national poverty line income (PLI), said its minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.
She said that based on the previous monthly household income of RM980, JKM had allocated RM1.53 billion a year to be channelled to more than 500,000 eligible recipients.
On July 10, the Department of Statistics Malaysia announced that the new PLI was RM2,208 per household per month.
“The new PLI is in line with the actual reality of the people sufferings following the Covid-19 outbreak, which has affected their socio-economy,” she told reporters after making a community visit at Taman Merbau Indah here today.
Rina also said that all agencies and departments under her ministry were closely studying existing policies and programmes relating to the PLI so that improvements could be done in line with the new income rate.
She said at present 11 types of aids were being channelled through JKM to children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities (OKU) and chronic patients.
Earlier Rina visited Nik Hamid Kub, 50, whose wife, Hayati Ismail, 47, underwent surgery to amputate her left leg due to diabetes, at their house in Taman Merbau Indah here, today.
During the visit, Rina also handed over contributions from JKM and the OKU card to Hayati, whose husband is bedridden due to high blood pressure and diabetes. — Bernama
