Single father of three awaits RM2,500 aid with hope

GEORGE TOWN: It has been a tough year for single father Hoe Chee Beng, having to raise three school-going children on his meagre salary as a coffee shop helper.But all is not lost and he is looking forward to a better year ahead – thanks to the newly-launched Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) scheme.

Under the BKM scheme announced during Budget 2022 yesterday, households with three or more children with an income lower than RM2,500 are eligible for a RM2,000 assistance.

For single parents with an income of up to RM5,000, a RM500 assistance will be provided.

Hoe, 59, said it was a big relief knowing that he would be eligible for the RM2,500 aid.

“This aid is really timely for me, as I have three children who are still schooling.

“My rental, electricity bill, as well as the cost of ensuring my children have proper virtual learning materials are a huge burden, and I really need some help.

Brighter days ahead: Hoe helping his children (from left) Mei Jing, 14, Yong Deck, 16, and Mei Kheng, eight, with their homework in George Town. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

“I already owe (my landlord) two months’ rental, which comes to RM500. The rest of the money I can use to buy other essential items for my family,” he said when met at his house in Lebuh Macallum here yesterday.

Hoe’s three children are aged eight, 14 and 16.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz unveiled Budget 2022 amounting to RM332.1bil, the nation’s largest to date.

The new BKM outlined in Budget 2022 will benefit more than 9.6 million recipients with an allocation of RM8.2bil, compared to RM7bil previously for Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR).

Under BKM, which is an improvement to the BPR, an allocation of RM2,000 will be given to households with three children or more, with household incomes of less than RM2,500.

This is an increase from the household income level of RM1,800 previously. An extra RM500 will be given to single mothers and fathers with dependants and monthly incomes of up to RM5,000.

This means that single mothers and fathers with three children or more are entitled to receive a maximum BKM of up to RM2,500.