The Malaysian Insight

PUTRAJAYA should come out with long-term measures to lift the standards of living of those in poverty, instead of just giving out cash aid, said activists.

They said while the government should raise allocations to ease the people’s burden amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not a solution to problems faced by the poor.

Activist Syed Azmi Alhabshi said cash assistance can be a short-term measure but it also indirectly makes recipients dependent on aid. 

He said whether the aid extended is sufficient or not will also depend on the living conditions of the family and their needs. 

“The issue is how can the recipients be free from the clutches of poverty?” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

Syed Azmi said the needs of all families are different.

“Different families have different needs. The aid should be increased to families in need, for example those with family members suffering from chronic illness and big families,” he added. 

“Such aid may not help families that are a bit more well off and we do not want them to be addicted to aid,” he said. 

Syed Azmi said people, especially existing recipients, will start asking when the government decides to increase the cash amount. 

“We should guide them and bring them out of poverty,” he said. 

For example, good infrastructure such as decent roads and transport systems will help them get to work. 

“Cash aid is not an effective measure to eradicate poverty. We should become a country that is able to lead and guide them out of poverty,” he said. 

Syed Azmi also proposed a rule that cash assistance can only be used for schooling and technical college education expenses. 

He hopes the government will also launche programmes to gauge the effectiveness of the assistance in the long term. 

“We have to see the impact of the aid after 10 years. If there are no changes, we should then see what other forms of aid are needed, so that we not only help them live but also improve their livelihood,” he added. 

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said last Sunday he plans to increase the monthly allowance from the Welfare Department from RM200 to up to RM1,000 a month. 

The matter was mooted in the cabinet this week.

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress had welcomed the prime minister’s proposal to increase the monthly aid.

Lily Looi, a former recipient of aid for disabled persons, hopes bureaucratic issues will be first settled before the allocation is increased.

Looi, who is wheelchair-bound, had been receiving the aid for years before it was scrapped last year, and she has not been receiving any ever since. 

According to Looi, the aid given to her was cancelled because of some misunderstanding on her status with a Welfare Department staff. She has not been able to rectify the situation until now. 

“When I re-applied, the officer was frequently absent from the office. During the movement-control order, I tried calling the officer on the phone, but he was not there.

“While the proposal (to increase the aid) is good, it will not resolve bureaucracy problems like the one I faced,” she said. 

Looi, who provides transport services for the disabled, said the department provides RM200 to unemployed disabled people and RM400 for those who are employed to encourage them to work.

“If the government provides RM1,000 a month, then it is possible the terms will be stricter. 

“It will be harder for more people to apply for aid,” she said.

Good news

Independent researcher Muhamad Nadhir Abdul Nasir said he was happy with the proposal.

Nadhir, who studies education and disabled persons, said the government will improve the quality of life of those in need with the aid. 

He also hopes the government will review and amend the terms for welfare aid. For example, one’s income should be below RM1,200 for them to qualify. 

“Those who are earning more than that should not be allowed to apply, although their income may not be enough to support their family,” he said. 

Nadhir hopes the department will speed up the application process, making it available through online platforms and taking into account mobility issues faced by the group. 

As for Association of Family Empowerment chairman Assoc Prof Dr Haslinda Abdullah, she said families dependent on aid will be satisfied if the allowance is increased to RM1,000.

However, she said the government should not take the aspect of family development lightly.

“Technological skills and access are important for socioeconomic development, to lift oneself and their families from the clutches of poverty. 

“Besides that, aspects such as free education, healthy nutritious food should also be given attention,” she added. – September 4, 2020.