KUALA LUMPUR: The government has disbursed RM85.19 million in Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) aid to 30,606 armed forces veterans, including pensioners, non-pensioners and widows up to September this year.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said BSH was introduced to assist armed forces veterans whose incomes fall below the poverty line, ensuring they receive financial support to overcome hardship.
"In line with the government's Madani policy, the programme aims to uplift veterans from extreme poverty," he said in a parliament written reply to a question by Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor (PN-Ketereh) in the Dewan Rakyat today on addressing poverty among veterans.
Khlir questioned why BSH was not extended to pensioned veterans before Jan 1, 2013, citing that more than 98 per cent of them face financial hardships and fall within the B40 income group.
Last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an automatic extension of BSH, offering RM300 monthly payments to non-pensioned veterans aged 60 and above.
However, Khaled added, eligibility remains contingent on household income being below the poverty line of RM1,198.
He said while pensioned veterans before 2013 are not automatically eligible, their applications will still be considered if their income falls below the stipulated threshold.
"This initiative underscores the government's efforts to equitably distribute aid to those most in need."