Some forgo BR1M because it is 'a bridge too far'

An elderly woman from Sitiawan, Perak, has decided to forgo her Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) voucher after she was told to collect it in Ipoh, some 80km away.

Chan Gan, 73, received a notice from the Ipoh Timur MCA division informing her that she has to collect her BR1M voucher at the Tow Boh Keong Hall in Ipoh at 9am on March 17. Malaysiakini has sighted the notice.

If Chan is to make the trip to Ipoh, it would involve a lengthy bus ride.

She told Malaysiakini that she decided to forgo BR1M payment this year because she has sore feet and was not up to the task.

“I can barely stand. Do you want me to queue up (for the BR1M voucher)? I would be tired after standing for just five minutes.

“If I were to feel pain or lethargy, I would probably have to go down on my knees,” she said.

In previous years, money for BR1M would be conveniently deposited into Chan’s bank account, near where she lives.

“Why it is so troublesome this time?” she asked.

Ipoh Timur MCA is also puzzled over the arrangement

When contacted, an Ipoh Timur MCA division staff member said she was puzzled with the this year’s arrangement for BR1M.

She claimed that the lists of recipients were distributed by Umno.

She said BR1M would be distributed in the form of vouchers issued by the Inland Revenue Board.

Division will try to resolve the matter

Another Ipoh Timur MCA division staff member said that they have been receiving complaints from BR1M recipients who are not residing in Ipoh.

He said the division would try to resolve the matter later.

“We will use the best way to fulfil the demands of as many peole as we can,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ipoh Timur MP Thomas Su criticised MCA for being part of the scheme and accused the BN party of using this opportunity to market itself ahead of the forthcoming general election.

“This is a political move to gain some votes, try to make people feel that they should appreciate MCA because the party gets the money for them.

“But this is not the case, this is all the rakyat’s money,” Su, who is from DAP, said when contacted.

Su pointed out that only Perlis and Perak were distributing BR1M vouchers manually, but not the other states.

“Why are there only two states that have been given different treatment?” he asked.

He urged MCA to stop such “nonsense” and to revert to the old method of transferring the BR1M money directly to the bank accounts of receivers.- Mkini