KUALA TERENGGANU – Poor students and those from families earning below RM2,500 in Terengganu will soon receive tablets and Internet top-ups worth RM100 following the Movement Control Order 2.0 (MCO 2.0).
It is understood that the incentives would be channelled in stages to the qualified recipients from next week.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said they were among seven incentives the state government introduced through the 2021 Terengganu People’s Economic Aid (BERKAT) worth RM19 million.
He said the Internet top-up aid would be extended to all students who had received schooling aid while 1,600 tablets would be given to poor students through the state’s government subsidiaries (GLC).
“There are also food basket incentives for the 81,000 recipients of aid from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and the Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIDAM).
“A cash incentive of RM100 will also be given to those whose jobs are affected in sectors which are not allowed to operate during the MCO 2.0. They are, for example, barbers, car wash workers and others, involving an estimated 48,000 people,” he said in a statement today.
In addition, three more incentives under BERKAT are online lecture incentives for affected preachers who have no fixed income; RM300 special incentive each to tourism players including trishaw riders, ferry boat operators and tourism agency staff; and the opening of 20 People’s Access Internet Centres (PINTAR) for Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR).
Ahmad Samsuri said those not included in the groups, such as being poor and earning less than RM2,500, but are in dire need of assistance and affected by the MCO 2.0 could contact the respective Community Service Centres of their state assemblymen.
“It is hoped that the incentives introduced can give a bit of relief to those involved,” he said.
NGOs come to the aid
Meanwhile in Bukit Mertajam, the plight of two Muslim converts who had been living in poverty and surviving only on instant noodles caught the attention of two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) today.
Abdul Rahman Lim, 56, and his 57-year-old brother, Abdul Rahim, a person with disabilities (PwD), have had to ration food that mostly consisted of instant noodles or crackers daily.
Abdul Rahman said since their story went viral on social media yesterday, he had been received calls from various parties who wanted to help.
“Thank you very much to those who have helped us. We are very grateful to everyone,” he told reporters when met at their house in Machang Bubok, near here, today.
Abdul Rahman said he does not have a permanent job currently, relying only on odd jobs to get them through.
He is also unable to work daily as he needs to take care of his brother who suffers from health issues such as seizures and the loss of a left limb in an accident.
“If we want to eat, we need to save but neighbours do offer food to us. Some friends also bring us to a nearby clinic whenever we need treatment,” he added.
Earlier, Penang Islamic Propagation Society International (IPSI) and Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia visited the brothers to hand over basic necessities.
IPSI president, Datuk Kamarudin Abdullah also called on the mosque parish and local surau to ensure the welfare of converts are taken care of so that no one is marginalised.
Food bank set up
Concerned with the plight of poor families, a youth in Port Dickson has set up a food bank using portions of his pocket money that he saved to prevent them from going hungry.
Port Dickson-born R. Praviin, 20, said the initiative started four years ago when he was in Form Three at a school, here.
He was feeling sad over the plight of a school mate who came from a poor family and since then, with the help of some teachers, he had been contributing basic necessities like rice, sugar, flour, milk and cooking oil to the poor from house to house.
“While schooling, I was given RM20 per week as pocket money by my father and from that sum, I saved RM13 for the purpose of charity. I managed to save RM100 to RM200 a month with which I could only help 10 selected poor families in the district.
“To raise funds, I did odd jobs like washing cars. I could not help the poor on a big scale, so I just did what I could so that no one in Port Dickson would go hungry,” he told Bernama, here, today.
Aspiring to be an elected representative one day, the fifth of seven siblings now has two food banks, namely, in Batu 9, Teluk Kemang and Taman Mewah, Jalan Pantai, here.
“I like to help people….I want to help through education, food….and my mission is to make Port Dickson a district with zero hunger among the poor,” he said, adding that his family has been supportive of his initiative.
Praviin who now works at his father’s air-conditioner repair shop at Batu 9, Teluk Kemang welcomed contributions from others to help those in need.
With the RM1,000 he earns from his father’s shop each month, he sets aside RM400 for his food banks.
“My initiative has so far received positive feedback from the local community and needy,” he said.
Those who wish to contribute to the effort can contact Praviin at 017-3234033.
