KUALA LUMPUR: Priority for exemption of fees for staying at quarantine stations (QS) is being given to returned overseas students whose parents belong to the Bottom 40 (B40) group, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Datuk Seri Redzuan Yusof said, today.
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Steven Sim (DAP-Bukit Mertajam), who asked the government to provide exemptions for the B40, people with disabilities and students who are required to stay at QSs when returning from overseas.
"The government bears the cost of QS for the B40, students and people with disability, while the rest have to pay RM150 (per day), and this is only half of what needs to be paid as the government bears the rest.
"The government is already spending a lot so (when possible), we try not to take on more burdens, and so we give priority to those who are actually in need.
"So, for example, private students whose parents have high incomes (must pay the costs).
"The foreign ministry will get the relevant information so that the government gets to help targeted groups," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
In another supplementary question, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pas-Pasir Mas) asked Redzuan to respond to a viral report concerning over 100 students returning from Yemen.
According to Ahmad, it was claimed that the students were told to pay RM1,890 per person, and those who failed to provide payment were told to wait in the hotel lobby until their parents arrived with the money.
Redzuan did not deny the claim, but said the problem has been resolved, while explaining that the Foreign Ministry and Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) want to get relevant information from the students.
"We can't simply open our borders to all students who want to come back because the cost is really expensive.
"Anyway, it involved about 148 students (from Yemen) and they have all been stationed at QS. The reason it took them a while to get into their respective rooms is that they needed time to pay their deposits.
"It was during that time that we managed to identify who among them could afford to pay and who were from the B40 group," he said.
To a question from Fahmi Fadzil (PKR-Lembah Pantai), who asked about another viral report claiming that a QS failed to provide a clean hotel room and meals on time, Redzuan said such allegations need to be investigated first.
"We need to first find out if it's the truth and involves a gazetted QS. If it's true, we will ensure it won't happen again and make improvements if needed.
"The hotels we chose have to fulfil certain conditions and on this viral report, we will investigate to ensure the (viral) pictures came from a gazetted QS," he said.