NGOs representing persons with disabilities call minister’s JKMPay feasibility study bogus, one-sided

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — NGOs representing persons with disabilities (PwD) in Malaysia slammed as bogus today Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun’s study of the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) cash payment system to the community.

The group said the study only took feedback from new recipients and questioned how they would be able to compare the two schemes when they were only privy to one JKMPay (JKM Cashless Assistance Payment Pilot Project).

“It’s like conducting a study to see if people like coffee or tea, but you give them coffee only, and if you don’t like it, then you won’t have anything to drink since there are no alternatives.

“If you want them to compare, they need to see both sides. Right now, they’ve never had a chance to get the full amount but rather this 50-50 scheme where it splits the RM450 between the card and cash,” said Malaysia Independent Living Association for Disabled (Milad) president Pastor Sia Ciew Chin.

“Not only that, the reason the minister gave the go-ahead for this scheme is to prevent the disabled community from abusing the money by buying cigarettes and alcohol and they want to help promote the kampung panel shops so they can revive the economy.

“If so, we’d like to propose that ministers also give up 50 per cent of their monthly allowance to help these kampung shops and when Parliament cuts their allowance to make sure they too don’t spend it on cigarettes.”

The NGOs were frustrated that a very important meeting that took place on January 25, 2022 was not attended by the minister nor her deputy nor their grievances heard.

Today, Rina was grilled in Parliament by Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto who asked her to clarify if she had consulted the community before implementing the project in April 2021, to which Rina said she had, adding the project was still in its infancy.

She said after its implementation for six months [from February 2021 to July 2021), the ministry conducted a study in October last year on the 1,066 who were involved in the project.

She said 76 per cent agreed that cashless was easy, 80 per cent said cashless was safer compared to cash, 80 per cent said they were able to manage their expenditure better compared, and 73 per cent were satisfied with the network of shops in their areas.

The NGOs, however, refuted all of this, again pointing out the one-sided study that they said wasn’t done fairly.

“The questions in the survey were heavy-handed and lopsided and made it difficult to respond fairly. That’s why it turned out mostly positive,” said Suhaila Merican, treasurer for Kuala Lumpur’s Rehabilitation Centre of the Disabled (PPOC).

“The community, like everyone else, uses money through online banking and has debit and credit cards with good financing. So I find it odd that the ministry said they want this JKMPay to monitor the community’s spending.

“Our feedback shows the community having financial difficulties as well as trouble finding certain things. Not only that, some recipients already have a Bank Islam account, but after processing, are given a separate and new account in the same bank,” she added.

Milad vice-president Noor Muha Aziz said every group they spoke to wants the JKMPay scheme abolished, calling it burdensome and not done in good faith.

He criticised Rina for saying in Parliament today that she had consulted the community before making decisions.

He said she not only breached the Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities 2016-2022  but did not have any discussions with them prior to the implementation of the pilot project.

Noor, like the others, expressed fear that despite it being called a ‘pilot project’, Rina had hinted that it would be fully implemented nationwide by 2023.

“I’d like to ask Rina if she had consultation sessions or given us briefings? Those are two different things,” he said during a press conference today.

“Briefings are explanations while consultations involve proper discussions and sharing of ideas. From her answer in Parliament today, it is clear that she has not consulted the community properly or at all.

“In addition, she insults the community by portraying us as weak, saying we cannot look after ourselves and need her supervision with our finances. If she wants this programme to go on, we want full transparency on the processes and how it is implemented,” he added.

Several individuals who attended the press conference on Zoom shared their experiences with JKMPay, adding that some of the panel shop prices were higher than that of their local sundry shops.

Yana Karim said a friend of hers in Kedah thought he would get the full amount but he only got half. He is in need of adult diapers and with only half of the RM450 he was promised, he then had to limit his purchase.

Due to Rina’s plan to have the community only spend at designated stores (of which there are 250), this individual had to then travel to the shop, and upon arrival, found the prices higher.

“The price at the JKM shop was more than the normal shop. Coupled with the transport costs and lack of cash, he was unable to even buy some online as he had limited funds,” she said.

Others shared stories of how it was difficult to obtain special formula for their kids with disabilities and allergies at the panel shops, while others found it perplexing that Rina refused to meet them despite their numerous protests and calls for meetings.

Some said they had sleepless nights worrying about their allowance being cut and their livelihoods affected.