CORONAVIRUS | The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has found its system in determining eligible recipients of Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) intact despite complaints that a few unqualified MPs found themselves eligible to the financial aid.
IRB said automatic approval of BPN was given to the MPs and renowned individuals based on their taxation record in 2018.
"We noted media reports on renown individuals, which included MPs, who were approved of the first phase payment of BPN beginning on April 6.
"As it had announced before, IRB wishes to explain that the approval of BPN payments was granted automatically based on the database of Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) and the database of taxation record in 2018.
"A preliminary examination by IRB showed that the process of determining the BPN (recipients) was in order," said IRB in a statement this evening.
The BPN recipients were determined based on their income and the latest taxation record.
IRB welcomes MPs to voluntarily return the BPN aid to the government.
Following a report of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor being eligible to receive the RM800 aid, several MPs reportedly admitted to also being qualified for BPN.
They called for an overhaul of the system which determines the eligibility of recipients.
Opposition MPs, including Mahfuz Omar (above) (Pokok Sena), Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan), Hassan Karim (Pasir Gudang) and Steven Sim (Bukit Mertajam) also found they were eligible to the BPN.
The Members of Parliament Remuneration Act 1980 states an MP is entitled to a salary of RM16,000 per month, plus various perks and allowances.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the BPN on March 29 as part of an economic stimulus package to soften the impact of Covid-19 on the economy.
Among others, the government will pay single individuals a total of RM800 in April and May, if they earn below RM2,000 per month.
Singles earning between RM2,001 and RM4,000 will receive RM500 over the period.
Meanwhile, households earning RM4,000 and below will receive a total of RM1,600, while households making between RM4,001 and RM8,000 will get RM1,000. - Mkini
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