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KUALA LUMPUR – Recipients of the government’s RM150 e-Pemula programme have complained of unwieldy requirements for them to use the one-off handouts, questioning why they cannot use it for online transactions when the funds are credited to their e-wallet accounts.
On Sunday, the government announced that it has set aside RM300 million for e-Pemula, which will provide one-off credits to youth aged between 18 and 20 through one of four selected e-wallets.
But youth contacted by The Vibes complained that it made no sense for the government to limit use of the funds to only offline purchases when their consumption habits are heavily skewed towards online transactions such as bill payments.
The condition is “unnecessarily inconvenient”, especially if the recipients live in areas where e-wallet services are not widely available, said 21-year-old student Iskandar Putra.
The government should take into account that there are applicants who live in rural areas where shops are unlikely to offer e-wallet services,” he said, adding that credit injected into the TnG e-wallet also cannot be used at tolls.
Universiti Malaya student Nawal Athirah Omar, 19, said the lack of accessibility is not limited to rural areas, as students who live on-campus like her may not have the means to travel out to physical stores.
She said the government needs to review its decision to limit how the funds can be used, especially since the applicants are mostly students who typically operate online.
As a student living on campus, it is more convenient for me to purchase whatever I need online since if I want to go out, I will have to order a ride from Grab,” Nawal said.
Another student, Nurul Rifayah, questioned why the government did not simply disburse the funds directly into their bank accounts instead of imposing limited use via their e-wallets.
The government implemented a better programme under the e-Belia scheme last year, which allowed more freedom on how applicants could use the funds, the 19-year-old Seremban UiTM student said.
“Last year, I could still buy products on Shopee, and if I had chosen to use the TnG e-Wallet, I could have even cashed out the funds, which was very useful for me as the pharmacy I go to regularly does not accept e-wallet payments,” she said. – The Vibes, April 12, 2022