KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya is mulling a proposal to directly credit the RM150 early schooling aid into the accounts of pupils, says Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying.
According to Lim, this will be to prevent repeats of the incident in January that saw more than RM100,000 worth of aid stolen.
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“Nevertheless, the proposal must take into account the willingness of banks and the difficulty of those in the interior who incur high (travel) costs to go to a bank,” she said during Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday (March 15).
Mohd Radzi Md Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) then interjected and said the aid was initially credited to students' accounts during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Is there a timeline (for this suggestion to be implemented)?” he asked.
Lim replied that the aid is currently credited into bank accounts jointly owned by parents and pupils under 12 years old.
“I can’t give a specific timeline. But it is in the process. We cannot force them (the account holders), but only encourage them. We also received feedback from parents about improving the process of aid distribution,” she added.
ALSO READ: Minister: SOP breach led to RM100k school aid theft
Lim said the ministry has always given briefings to ensure school principals follow SOP when handling cash in schools.
In January, more than RM100,000 in aid withdrawn by a school principal in Semenyih was reportedly stolen from his car.
The school principal had left the money in a bag in the front passenger seat of his car while he went to a nearby shop to buy a drink.
