Tengku Adnan: Many used BR1M money on gambling

KUALA LUMPUR: The objective of lightening the burden of the people through the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) has not been fully achieved.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said this was because many misused the aid through wasteful spending or gambling.

"Immediately after the recipients received their BR1M, the cyber cafes in the federal capital would be packed. Why? Many gambled (online) the money away.

"The shopping complexes would also be crowded suddenly, (recipients) shopping for things that were really unnecessary," he said at the presentation of the Federal Territories Excellent Student Awards 2014 to the recipients, here.

In view of this, Tengku Adnan felt that the BR1M should be paid in monthly instalments in future to induce prudent spending of the monetary aid.

"We bank the BR1M into the recipients' account and when the time comes, then only they will withdraw the money," he said.

For 2014, BR1M for households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below was raised from RM500 to RM650 plus RM50 for the 1Malaysia People's Takaful Insurance Scheme (i-BR1M) coverage.

For singles aged 21 and above with a monthly income of not more than RM2,000, the amount was raised to RM300 from RM250.

Besides that, for the first time, RM450 in BR1M was extended to households with a monthly income of RM3,000 to RM4,000.