KUALA LUMPUR: The one-off payment for police pensioners and ex-police in the 2021 Budget shows that the Perikatan Nasional government cared for the people, said Ex-Police Association of Malaysia.
Its secretary-general Mokhtar Omar said it had in August this year voiced concern for the government to provide financial assistance in recognition of their contribution to the nation.
"We are thankful that the government heard our plea. We spoke to Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz about it (before) and he said he would study ways to help.
"Zafrul's announcement today showed that he kept his promise and that he would do something to assist us. He did not take the association's cause lightly. This is a good start for many things to come," Mokhtar told the New Straits Times today.
Zafrul, in his 2021 Budget winding up speech in Parliament, said the ministry had agreed to widen the category of recipients of the one-off payments to 40,000 police pensioners and ex-police following the association's suggestion.
Zafrul said he had on Nov 6 announced a RM500 one-off payment to 40,000 police pensioners who received the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara.
Payment for beneficiaries of both one-off payments was estimated at RM40 million, he added.
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia first year student Loke Chin Yien, was happy to learn that she qualified for the improved eBelia programme, where she would be entitled to a RM100 payment from the government to her e-wallet account.
The 21-year-old from Melaka, who is pursuing Translation and Interpreting Studies, said she could not apply for the initial programme that offered RM50 to over 1.5 million students, as it was meant for those aged between 18 and 20.
"I will be using the money to buy mobile data as the Wi-Fi connection in my housing area is unstable at times.
"I am also using my laptop and my handphone to attend online classes and submit coursework, so I need secure Internet access. This assistance will help me with my studies," she said.
The Higher Education Ministry, Zafrul said, had previously highlighted on the need of students from public and private higher learning institutions (IPT and IPTS) in the wake of the new norm following Covid-19.
In this regard, Zafrul said several members of parliament also prompted the government to improve the eBelia programme by raising the aid from RM50 to RM100, and extending the initiative to benefit 1.1 million students in IPT and IPTS as well as those over 20 years old.