KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 – The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) has stopped providing a disability allowance for a recipient who was found to engage in begging activities and owns a Proton X70 Premium.
Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said besides discontinuing the RM450 allowance starting this month, the ministry has also issued a warning and requested the man to sign a letter of undertaking as a commitment to cease begging activities.
“Further investigation found that he is currently employed as a shift supervisor in a bus company, earning around RM2,000 per month. Hence, this individual is no longer eligible for welfare assistance from the Social Welfare Department (JKM),” she said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
She was responding to a supplementary question from Mohd Sany Hamzan (PH-Hulu Langat) who wanted to know the actions taken by KPWKM and JKM regarding a disabled man who received aid from JKM but engaged in begging activities and owned a Proton X70, as recently went viral on social media.
The man, who has disabilities in both hands, was reported to earn up to RM500 within five hours from public donations at a night market before the Maran JKM exposed him in February.
Regarding the ministry’s long-term measures to address the issue of destitute and homeless people, Noraini said it is currently reviewing the Destitute Persons Act 1977.
“KPWKM aims to use this study’s findings as a basis for rationalising decisions related to mechanisms for addressing begging, homelessness, recovery, and enforcement aspects,” she said.
For short-term measures, she said KPWKM is conducting ad-hoc, scheduled, or periodic operations in hotspot areas such as the Kuala Lumpur city centre that are in line with various related laws.
