KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — The government has provided an additional allocation of RM45 million to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for implementation of the Suri Incentive Scheme (i-Suri) this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said with the additional allocation, the ministry is targeting 100,000 women, including those in the e-Kasih list, to register for i-Suri by this June 30.

Since the scheme was introduced on August 15 last year until last February 28, a total of 84,143 women had registered with i-Suri, she said in response to a question by Kesavan Subramaniam (PH-Sungai Siput).

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said there were, however, several constraints in implementing the outreach programme for those eligible, especially those staying in remote areas.

Another problem is for members to make payment because the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) does not accept subscription in cash, she added.

As such, she said, the EPF, together with its strategic partners, sent their mobile teams to the remote areas, as well as diversifying  the mode of payments, as well as discussed with Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) to allow subscription be made through BSN agents and through the short messaging system.

Meanwhile, to a supplementary question from Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) on the mechanism for i-Suri members to make their claims to the Social Security Organisation (Socso), the deputy prime minister said a law on the matter would be submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers and would be tabled at the coming Parliament sitting.

Implementation of the law will involve the government’s expenditure of RM180 million, she added. — Bernama