New rules complicate BR1M application process: PKR

Kuching: New rules are complicating new applications for the government welfare payout Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), says PKR Wanita national vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni.She said thousands of people were swarming its service centres to enquire about their applications this month and hoped BR1M will improve its services.

BR1M service centres are open for new applications from Dec 4 to 31. The money is to be paid from January.

Voon said the new rules had made the application process unnecessarily difficult.

"We are helping people to update their data for the BR1M aid and we observe there are new requirements that have not been announced. "These include divorce documents and death certificates," Voon told reporters at the state party headquarters here today.

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"For example, a widow needs to send the death certificate of her deceased husband to the Inland Revenue office within seven days of her updating her BR1M data," Voon said.

Single parents who are divorced are now also required to submit their divorce documents to the Inland Revenue Board office.

"We just got to know about these new rules. We are telling the applicants that their applications are also not going to be automatically renewed.

"We feel these new procedures are inconvenient for the public. It is not a people-friendly system at all," Voon said.

She said eligible recipients who lived in rural Sarawak will also face more difficulties.

"Their documents need to be updated but I'm not sure if the government will send out letters to inform them whether their status have been updated or not," Voon said.

She said PKR had opened its own service counters to help with the registration process in Third Mile, Tabuan Jaya and Batu Kawah here.

"We will be open seven days a week to assist applicants to ensure that everyone eligible for BR1M will receive the money they are owed."

BR1M aid is given to 5.7 million households with an income lower than RM4,000 per month. In his Budget 2017 speech, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that RM6.8 billion had been allocated to various recipient groups under the BR1M scheme.

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Single individuals, 21 years of age and above, with a monthly income of RM2,000 and below can apply for RM450 under the welfare aid programme.

Households with a monthly income of below RM3,000 and below RM4,000 may apply for RM1,200 and RM900 in assistance respectively.

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00