Cost of Living Aid will be paid out after CNY, says Guan Eng

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said today that the Cost of Living Aid (Bantuan Sara Hidup, or BSH), which replaced BR1M, will only be paid out after Chinese New Year 2019.

"Right now there is a new approach, that is why we need some time to gather information.

"As I announced in Budget 2019, we are using a new method to collect information, but the effort needs some time.

"It (BSH) can only be paid after Chinese New Year, but it will be paid," Lim said to reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat today.

Chinese New Year will begin on Feb 5, 2019.

Last night, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged Lim to make helping lo-income groups a priority as they are most affected by the high cost of living.

After Pakatan Harapan assumed federal control in May, it was announced that BSH would replace BR1M, the brainchild of its predecessor government.

Mahathir had said that the mechanism for BSH would be completely different from BR1M.

In Lim's presentation of Budget 2019, he had said that the government will maintain the cash aid for next in a bid to assist low-income groups.

Households earning RM2,000 and below will receive a payout of RM1,000, while those earning between RM2,001 and RM3,000 will receive RM750, and those earning between RM3,001 and RM4,000 will receive RM500.

The Harapan government will also introduce an additional RM180 payout under BSH for children aged 18 and below for households categorised in the bottom 40 percent (B40) group, for up to four children. - Mkini