KANGAR, July 8 — The Perlis government has disbursed a total of RM5.24 million in aid through its Basic Food Distribution Programme (Pama) to 344,451 people in the state who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic since the implementation of the first nationwide lockdown on March 18 last year.

Perlis state secretary Azman Mohd Yusof said those in need can get the food supply from 15 distribution centres statewide.

Azman, who is also chairman of the state Disaster Management Committee, said during the first lockdown, the state government through Pama spent a total of RM3.30 million to distribute basic food aid fortnightly to those who were in dire straits.

"A total of 35,000 people had received the aid comprising rice, cooking oil, eggs, coffee, sugar, biscuits, noodles, sardines and others according to their needs, and this helped to reduce the burden of those who had lost jobs or did not earn enough to feed their families during the MCO period,” he said.

 Azman said that even though Perlis has transitioned into Phase Two of the Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan from July 5, the state government will continue to provide food aid to persons in the B40 group by supplying 7,500 food baskets worth RM50 each.

"We view Pama as an effective initiative for helping people in need, especially those in the B40 group, and we will maintain it after the country is eventually free of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. — Bernama