QuickCheck: Are the Wanita Bangkit Berniaga and MyKasih Kapital programmes aimed at enriching its sponsors?

A viral message on Twitter claims that the Wanita Bangkit Berniaga and MyKasih Kapital programmes are "schemes" aimed at enriching sponsor companies by forcing applicants to buy a book.

Is the allegation true?

VERDICT:

FALSE

In a statement issued on Wednesday (Dec 1), the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry refuted the claim, saying that the programmes are a strategic collaboration between the government and the private sector.

"The selection of companies as strategic partners is based on their capacity to create thousands of successful millionaires," said the Ministry, as reported by Bernama.

It added that the goal of the strategic collaboration is to help local women whose incomes had been jeopardised by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We deny the allegation that participants are made to buy a book. They are given the option to download an e-book for free or get a physical copy. They are only charged for the postage cost," said the Ministry.