Rina Harun: JKM’s cashless assistance payment project to help recipients manage expenses, prevent from buying cigarettes, liquor

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — Women, Family and Community Development minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said that the Social Welfare Department’s cashless aid project is to help regulate recipients’ expenses.

During a press conference today, she mentioned that currently the cashless card will only be allowed to buy basic necessities including food, pampers, sanitary pads and medicines.

Rina mentioned that the government has received reports that the allowance for the working disabled community has been misused to buy liquors and cigarettes.

“We also have received complaints where the assistance has been misused. For example, we have received complaints that the assistance has been used to buy cigarettes and in some cases, the money was spent by other family members or anything that does not bring benefits to the receiver.

“And through our observation, this initiative was launched to assist (the receivers) regulate their spending so that at least (the assistance) will be used to buy basic necessities such as food, medicines and pampers except for liquor and cigarettes,” she said after visiting the Chen Ai Disabled Welfare Association in Petaling Jaya this morning.

She added that the initiative is still under a pilot project stage and that it has received positive feedback from the majority of the participants as currently the initiative only affected new recipients in a few districts in the country. 

“As I said earlier this cashless project is still under monitoring and it is a pilot project. All information, data, views and input from all parties obtained during the implementation of this cashless pilot project will be scrutinised and taken into account before any decision is made related to its comprehensive implementation in the future,” she added.

Rina also mentioned that they will invite the disabled community association leaders and related bodies to discuss in detail the implementation of this program.

Previously, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said that the cashless assistance project will be revised by the ministry.

Addressing concerns from at least six groups protesting the programme that was implemented by her ministry, Siti Zailah said that the matter will be brought to Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.