MIRI: Sarawakians living in the rural areas, numbering some one million, can now breathe a huge sigh of relief.The Finance Ministry has extended the deadline for the application and payment of the one-off Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) RM500 monetary aid.
It is learnt that the decision was made during a meeting in Putrajaya where Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah met with senior officials of his ministry and those from the offices of several MPs of constituencies in the interior.
The meeting was held following an appeal from the MPs for an extension to the original deadline of Jan 10 for the submission of all applications.
The MPs said they could not meet the deadline due to many factors, among them, weather and connectivity.
Baram MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan was among those who appealed, and he told The Star yesterday, Ahmad agreed that there was a need for the deadline to be extended.
Sagan, who is International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, said he was delighted with the decision.
“Our workers, the officials from the district offices and the community leaders distributing the application forms and collecting them are faced with an insurmountable problem in the interior.”
“The weather has gotten from bad to worse in many parts, making travel very slow and risky because the logging roads are in very bad conditions.
“Because of these logistic problems, we know we cannot distribute the forms to all deserving families on time, that was why we appealed for the extension so that every deserving folk will be able to get the RM500,” he said.
“During the meeting today, Ahmad said the original plan was for all applications to be received by Jan 12 so that payment can be made starting Jan 15. The original plan was for the MPs to hand over the money to deserving folk within a two-month period between Jan 15 and March 15.
“However, following our appeal, he agreed that for remote constituencies, the ministry will allow applications to be received even after the Jan 12 deadline.
“These late applications forms will continue to be considered and approved accordingly for the qualified applicants.
“The timeframe for payment for these families in the interior will also be extended beyond the two-month limit, meaning to say that even after March 15, rural folk who deserve the aid will continue to get the money,” he said.
Sagan added that arrangements would be made between the Finance Ministry, the state development office and the offices of the MPs to draw up a proper schedule on where and how to distribute the money.- the star
