Man loses welfare due to extra income

Compiled by CRYSTAL CHIAM SHIYING, VINCENT TAN and R. ARAVINTHAN 

A DISABLED man working as a security guard was shocked to find that the Welfare Department would stop his monthly subsistence payment because he earned a little extra at his job, Makkal Osai reported.

S. Balakrishnan said he was working as a security guard at a factory in Sungai Petani, Kedah, for the past 15 years to support his ailing wife.

Considering his low income and his disability, he was also receiving RM350 in welfare aid.

However, he was dismayed to receive a letter from the department informing him that the aid would be terminated because he earned about RM300 extra in June and July.

Balakrishnan said he was able to work overtime during those months, which was not always possible because of his and his wife’s health problems.

He said he was happy to be able to earn an honest living, but his pay as a security guard was not enough for their living and medical expenses.

The monthly welfare assistance helped them get by, and having that taken away just because he earned overtime for two months would make life difficult, he said.

The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.