SHAH ALAM, July 20 — The monthly RM 300 aid provided by the Selangor government under the Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor (Bingkas) initiative may seem small to some, but for a cleaning worker here, it is of great assistance.
Kamsiah Mat Ali, 56, said that with the aid she has received since last year, she is now able to pay more for basic necessities than she did previously.
“My monthly salary is only RM350. There were days when it was hard for me to put food on the table.
“With the aid, I’m now able to not only buy daily necessities but also help support my two children’s education,” the single mother told Bernama.
Kamsiah is among about 27,000 Bingkas recipients who earn less than RM3,000 per month in Selangor and are eligible to receive assistance amounting to RM3,600 a year.
Meanwhile, state socio-economic development, social welfare and workers empowerment committee caretaker chairman V. Ganabatirau said the Selangor government aims to provide aid under the Bingkas initiative to 30,000 families in Selangor this year with an allocation of RM108 million.
He said the initiative, which was launched on July 1, 2022, was an upgrade and rebranding of the Kasih Ibu Smart Selangor (KISS) and KISS Ibu Tunggal (KISS-IT) programmes.
“The state government has increased the aid from RM200 to RM300 every month via the Wavpay e-wallet application, in addition to increasing the overall quota for recipients from 25,000 to 30,000,” he said.
In the meantime, Ganabatirau said from 2016 to June this year, a total of 3,256 participants of the Poverty Eradication Blueprint Assistance programme received assistance in the form of business equipment, involving funds amounting to RM13.598 million.
According to him, tailoring, food business, retail business, childcare, and handicrafts are the five main types of businesses assessed by the Poverty Eradication Blueprint Assistance Programme Selection Committee for approval.
“Among the equipment or machines requested by aid recipients and approved by the Selection Committee are flour mixers, ovens, freezers, sewing machines and portable booths,” he said.
Ganabatirau said that these entrepreneurs will continue to be monitored, guided and referred to the relevant committee to ensure that their small businesses can grow.
