KUALA LUMPUR: The Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) cash aid scheme will be expanded, where households of less than RM2,500 income with five children or more, will receive RM2,500 each.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the government would continue to take proactive measures in safeguarding the welfare of the Malaysian Family.
"RM10 billion is allocated for cash aid under the Welfare Department and BKM," he said when tabling the 2023 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the 2023 Budget would be driven by 3R – Responsive, Responsible, Reformist. Tengku Zafrul said the 2023 BKM would benefit 8.7 million of recipients with a total allocation of RM7.8 billion.
"BKM 2023 is a comprehensive assistance upgraded from 2020 Bantuan Sara Hidup where five million recipients benefitted with a RM5 billion allocations."
He said the government wanted to reduce the burden of families with multiple kids, as such, households with four kids are eligible to receive BKM of between RM1,000 and RM2,000.
"For households with an income of between RM2,500 and RM5,000, the aid will be between RM500 and RM1,250 depending on the number of kids they have.
"Senior citizens without spouses and singles will continue to receive RM600 and RM350 in aid respectively depending on their incomes.
"The aid for single mothers and single fathers continues in 2023, and they are eligible to receive a maximum of RM3,000, RM500 more than the RM2,500 they received in 2022.
"For instance, Firdaus and Nor Aliza from Pasir Gudang, who have five kids, received RM2,000 under BKM. Next year they will be getting RM2,500; Ling Mee Hoon, a single mother of three kids, received RM1,300 this year and in 2023 the assistance will be increased to RM1,500."
The 2023 Budget saw a proposed allocation of RM372.3 billion, compared with RM332.1 billion for the 2022 budget.