KOTA KINABALU: A total of 36,886 people have received their RM300 one-off Covid-19 special aid from the Sabah government.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, in a statement, said the eligible recipients are listed under the 'vulnerable' category. The move involves the distribution of financial aid amounting to RM11,065,800.
He said the RM300 one-off has so far been disbursed to 20,157 general aid recipients ; 2,197 orphan recipients; and 14,532 individuals who were categorised as single parents, senior citizens, chronic patients, and the disabled.
The state government has also distributed RM500 one-off payments to 22 Covid-19 patients, while 188 other patients will receive their one-off financial assistance once their bank account details are provided.
"As for those under the poor and hardcore poor category, 410 people have each received their RM500 one-off assistance. Another 12,678 recipients are still in the payment process," said Shafie.
He said the state government had also distributed RM189,560 in food aid to 2,554 Sabah students from 33 local and private higher learning institutions in the peninsula via the state liaison office in Kuala Lumpur.
"A total of RM500,000 in aid has also been handed over to Universiti Malaysia Sabah for students who are staying put at the varsity's main campuses in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Labuan Federal Territory during the movement control order (MCO).
"Food aid amounting to RM91,440 was distributed to 17 quarantine centres in Sabah, involving 2,079 persons under investigation (PUI), while food aid amounting to RM2,354 was distributed to 20 individuals placed at the temporary quarantine centre for street children.
"This amount will increase from time to time depending on the number of PUI being sent to quarantine centres," said Shafie.
He also noted that 108,632 heads of household in 60 state constituencies have received food aid, adding that the distribution is ongoing.
Eight frontline agencies have each received a RM1 million special grant from the state government on March 30. They are the state Health Department, Immigration Department, Armed Forces, Customs Department, Civil Defence Department, police, People's Volunteer Corps, and Eastern Sabah Security Command.
"I've personally monitored the status of the implementation of the Sabah Covid-19 aid package, which I announced on March 25.
"I've directed the Sabah Covid-19 Command Centre to continue to monitor and expedite distribution of aid to ease the people's burden during these trying times," said Shafie.