KUALA NERANG, Oct 5 — A review of the Bantuan Musim Tengkujuh (BMT) for rubber smallholders under the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) has been approved by the cabinet.
Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the details will be disclosed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“The cabinet has given its approval for the Monsoon Season Aid (BMT) for rubber smallholders, (but) let the prime minister announce it later,” he said here today.
Earlier, he presented contributions to students from Padang Terap studying at institutions of higher learning (IPT).
Commenting further, Mahdzir said the BMT improvement is expected to benefit 232,000 RISDA rubber smallholders nationwide who currently receive BMT of RM300 per month for a period of three months.
Earlier, the Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) submitted two recommendations to the prime minister to assist RISDA’s rubber smallholders who were affected by the low price of rubber.
The recommendation was to either raise the floor price of scrap rubber from the current price of RM2.50 per kg or extend the BMT period from three to six months.
Meanwhile, Mahdzir said a total of 385 children in Padang Terap district who are studying in public and private IPTs received assistance amounting to almost RM150,000 to ease the financial burden of the B40 group.
“The assistance given to the students of Padang Terap today has been given since 2004 through the office of the Member of Parliament for Padang Terap and we continue every year to see the children of Padang Terap progressing,” he said.
