KUCHING: Around 20 orphans will receive RM300 in cash as an early Christmas gift from the Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia (YKM).
The foundation chairman Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the money would be banked in from Saturday (Dec 14) onwards.
“This is part of YKM’s commitment to ensure that the orphans, who have lost loved ones, will be able to celebrate the festivities,” he said while visiting the family of widow Tina Bong, 50, and her two children, here on Friday (Dec 13).
He also visited another recipient, Rimanoraishahida Sarbini, 37, a single mother of three children aged between 13 and 16. Her husband, Mohamad Nuryasri Suut, 40, passed away on Sept 14, 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ismail Sabri also said that YKM aid would be distributed on a monthly basis starting next year, instead of the current quarterly payments, to provide more consistent benefits to recipients.
"The change to monthly disbursement aims to ensure recipients can meet their daily needs without having to wait four months for the next round of assistance.
"Starting next year, we will no longer provide aid four times a year but every month. The total amount will also increase from RM2,000 annually to RM2,400 annually, equivalent to RM200 per month," he said.
He said 48 recipients from 21 families in Sarawak have received YKM assistance since its launch in 2022 and to date, the foundation has received 890 new applications for aid nationwide.
The increase in applications, he said, reflects growing public confidence, as many were previously hesitant to share their bank account details, which are essential for YKM's aid disbursement.
At the same time, Ismail Sabri said YKM would also identify appropriate mechanisms for the people of Sarawak to receive aid from the foundation, particularly those living in remote areas, far from banking services.
"In rural areas, there are recipients without bank accounts. In such cases, we will find alternative mechanisms, possibly transferring aid to the accounts of the recipient's children or close family members," he stated.- Bernama
