Selangor Expands Bks AID To Married Couples Earning RM5,000 And Below

SHAH ALAM, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Selangor state government has expanded the eligibility criteria for the Kita Selangor Voucher (BKS) programme, now allowing married couples with a monthly income of RM5,000 and below to apply for the aid. 

Selangor Women's Development and Social Welfare Committee Exco Anfaal Saari said that previously, BKS applications were open only to single parents, but the new criteria extend to married couples who meet the specified requirements.

"Applicants must be Malaysian citizens and registered voters residing in Selangor, with a household income of RM5,000 and below, and must have at least one child under the age of 18.

"To ensure the aid is fair and targeted, only one recipient is permitted per household, and applicants must not be active recipients of the Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor (BINGKAS) programme," she said during a press conference at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly building today.

Anfaal said new applications and information verification can be made via the official BKS portal starting at 8.00 am on Aug 8.

She said eligible recipients will receive assistance of RM100 per month for six months to help ease the cost of living.

Commenting on the response to the programme, she said the state government has set an overall quota of 50,000 recipients.

"As of this morning, 18,889 applications have been received, of which 3,747 have been approved, and 3,044 of those are active recipients.

"There are also about 54,000 pending applications, possibly due to incomplete supporting documents or applicants not previously meeting the requirements," she said.

She said based on applications currently being processed, there remains room for approximately 32,000 more recipients before the 50,000 quota is filled.

In addition to expanding the eligibility criteria, Anfaal said the state government has also simplified the application process by no longer requiring a statutory declaration as proof of no income or residency in Selangor, a move aimed at encouraging more eligible families to apply for the aid.

Regarding voucher redemption, she said there are currently about 1,000 premises participating in the programme, which would be increased from time to time through collaboration with Selangor Health Care Sdn Bhd (Selcare) and State Constituency Service Centres.

-- BERNAMA