KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is unveiling the government's latest aid package for the rakyat called Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi or Pemulih.
In a special address being broadcast live to the nation this evening, Muhyiddin said the package is worth RM150 billion, including the government's direct fiscal injection of RM10 billion.
Pemulih is aimed at giving a comprehensive aid to the rakyat based on three main focuses; continuing with the Prihatin Rakyat agenda, supporting businesses and increasing vaccination rate.
To ensure that the people continue to receive aid in the months to come until year end, Muhyiddin announced the Bantuan Khas Covid-19 or BKC worth RM4.6 billion which will benefit over 11 million households, senior citizens and singles in the Bottom40 (B40) and Medium40 (M40) categories.
"In the hardcore poor category, households will receive RM500 in Aug and Nov as well as RM300 in Dec while single people will get RM200 in Aug and RM300 in Nov.
"Households in the B40 category will get RM500 in Aug and RM300 in Dec while single people will receive RM200 in Aug.
"The M40 households and singles, he said, will get RM250 and RM100 respectively in Aug," he said.
Muhyiddin said this was in addition to the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat or BPR which was announced in Pemerkasa Plus previously where the government agreed to give aid of up to RM500 in July and in stages starting tomorrow (June 29).
Phase 3 of the BPR, he said, where the assistance ranges between RM100 and RM1,400 will be paid out in September, along with payments for BPR appeal cases which have been approved.
Overall, the value of BPR stands at RM4.9 billion.
Muhyiddin said there will also be Bantuan Kehilangan Pendapatan where in Oct, Rm500 will be channeled to workers who had lost their income based on the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Social Security Organisation's (Socso) data this year.
The aid, he said, will benefit up to 1 million members with a financial implication of RM500 million.
"These three financial assistance from June to Dec this year are catered to those who are in need. I hope it will help the beneficiaries for their survival in the coming months, insyaAllah.
"I am aware that many have been badly affected for over a year since the pandemic started. Although millions of Malaysians have benefited from cash assistance since March last year and many had received government aid of sorts, I understand that assistance must continue to be stepped up for as long as this crisis lasts.
"The government will try its best to ease the burden shouldered by the people and we will not stop to do our best," he said.
Muhyiddin added that the government will expand the Elaun Mencari Pekerjaan (Job-Seeking Allowance) to Sosco non-contributors, especially new graduates, school-leavers and informal sector workers where those who are registered under MyFutureJobs are set to receive at least a RM300 allowance.
The government, he added, will allocate RM125 million through the Human Resource Development Corporation to implement the Place and Train initiative under the Janapreneur programme especially for school-leavers and graduates.
"This initiative is expected to offer opportunities to 30,000 people to undergo skill training programmes with the assurance of job employment once it concludes.
"The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation will enhance its existing programmes which are eRezeki and Glow to assist over 20,000 job seekers in the gig economy sector," he said.