BPN 2.0 helps people with cost of living

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SEREMBAN – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement on the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional 2.0 (BPN 2.0) through PRIHATIN Supplementary Initiative Package (KITA PRIHATIN) on Sept 23 has provided some relief to the people in navigating the cost of living during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the recipients, Anisah Wazir, 56, a food stall operator in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, said the BPN 2.0 assistance provided much needed help to her family as her business has been adversely affected by the outbreak.

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“I used the previous BPN to restart my business which was halted due to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March.

“I did not expect to receive the assistance again. I hope people like us will continue to be helped and I will save the money for emergency, especially now with the spike of COVID-19 cases.

“I am worried that another MCO will be enforced and I will be unable to operate my food stall again with my husband is also unemployed,” she told Bernama, here today.

Former hotel employee, Aishah Radzi, 35, said both BPN 1.0 and BPN 2.0 helped ease her financial burden after being laid off following the implementation of MCO on March 18.

“In the early days of MCO, the hospitality sector was severely affected and I had to look for other alternatives to continue living. Hence, when I received BPN, besides using it for daily expenses, I used part of it as capital to start an online food business. Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), although not much, but at least something,” she said.

Meanwhile, private sector employee, also from Seremban, Mohamad Shawal Zulkufli, 32, said the assistance will particularly help those affected in the employment sector or who have lost their source of income.

“As a bachelor in the M40 group, I am happy to see that this assistance is given out to the recipients regardless of status and even employers are also being helped.

“The government seems sincere in every announcement of aid made despite the country’s political situation,” he said.

— BERNAMA

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