KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — The government needs to speed up disbursement of the special aid under the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to the kin of Malaysians who succumbed to Covid-19, Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai said today.
The federal Opposition lawmaker noted that only 59.5 per cent of the claims have been paid out to date, based on a written parliamentary reply given by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special tasks) Datuk Abd Latiff Ahmad.
Another 17 per cent are still being processed while 20.7 per cent of applicants are being queried while 2.8 per cent have been rejected, Wong said.
"I urge the government to expedite the processing of the Covid-19 Death Management Special Assistance payment which is much in arrears and frankly whether there is a lack of funds in the Covid-19 Nadma Fund.
"If there is a lack of funds in the Nadma Covid-19 Fund, then the minister needs to be honest and explain the account of the money,” the DAP man said in a statement.
Wong also proposed that the government allocate an additional RM100 million to the Nadma Covid-19 Fund in an effort to expedite the payment.
Two years ago, the government announced that a Covid-19 deceased’s kin will receive special aid under Nadma up to RM5,000.
According to Nadma, the Covid-19 deceased person has to be a Malaysian, in order for the next of kin to qualify to apply.
This aid is only to be given directly to one single next-of-kin, if the application is successful.
