RM500 Aidilfitri Special Financial Aid For Terengganu Civil Servants

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 12 (Bernama) -- Over 14,000 Terengganu civil servants will each receive a special financial assistance of RM500 in conjunction with Aidilfitri starting today.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the aid is intended to ease the financial burden on state civil servants as they prepare for the coming Hari Raya celebrations.

"In view of the approaching Hari Raya, the state government has fully disbursed the special financial assistance of RM500 today.

"The aid is granted to all government employees regardless of their grade. Everyone receives the same amount of RM500," he said after the National Terengganu Students Association (Permata) Appreciation and Grand Iftar ceremony, organised by Yayasan Terengganu, here today.

Asked about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent announcement that Aidilfitri open houses not be held this year, Ahmad Samsuri welcomed the move.

“What I understand is that the Prime Minister's message refers specifically to the use of public funds. Therefore, if departments, agencies or state government-linked companies (GLCs) wish to hold Hari Raya programmes on a potluck basis among themselves, I believe that shouldn't be a problem.

“At the state level, we welcome the Prime Minister's view. Although it is not binding on the state government, I wish to inform that there will also be no Menteri Besar’s open house this year, unlike previous years,” he added.

-- BERNAMA