PUTRAJAYA: Perhaps for some, the Early Schooling Aid (BAP) of RM150 is a small amount, but for recipients, the government's assistance is very meaningful, as it helps them prepare school supplies for their children.
Single mother S. Nithyadevi, who works as a nurse at a government hospital in the southern state, said that this year marked the second year that her eight-year-old son has enjoyed the BAP initiative.
“I am one of the recipients of the MADANI government aid - which is BAP and Early Incentive Payment of RM2,000 for civil servants pending the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) study.
“This type of assistance is very helpful, for me as a single mother, as it helps in buying school supplies. It’s not a matter of not being able to spend for my children without BAP, but as the sole breadwinner for my small family, this help really means a lot to me,“ she said.
BAP amounting to RM150 to each student was distributed starting last month. either in cash or credit to their respective accounts.
Echoing Nithyadevi’s sentiment is B. Prema, a housewife from Kajang, who was of the view that the assistance can be fully used to buy additional books for two children under her care, who attend the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang West Country Barat.
“The biological parents of my two adopted boys are poor, so my husband and I have taken care of these two, who are now six and 12 years old since they were babies.
“I am a full-time housewife and my husband works as a lorry driver. BAP is very helpful and the assistance is specifically for buying books and school bags. Maybe the government can consider increasing the amount of BAP assistance to RM200 or RM250,” said the 50-year-old.
Apart from BAP, the MADANI Medical Scheme is also a government initiative to cover the health needs of the B40 group, which is automatically offered to recipients of the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR), by helping to cover the cost of treating minor illnesses at a nearby private clinic at no charge.
Marketing executive in Manjung, Perak, M. Khaviarsan, said that, at first he was unaware of the medical scheme, until his mother's friend told him to check the eligibility.
“Then I started looking for related information on the internet, and after checking, my 66-year-old mother is eligible to receive the benefit of RM125, and has so far used the services of a private clinic twice through the scheme.
“However, I think the use of the current form can probably be replaced with a simpler method, especially for the elderly, while the amount of RM125 can be increased,” he said, adding that more promotion needs to be done to spread awareness of the scheme widely. -Bernama
