Deputy Finance Minister: RM100 E-Wallet Credit To Be Distributed In December 2023

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

20th October 2023 - 2 min read

Deputy Finance Minister II, Steven Sim has revealed that the government will disburse the promised RM100 e-wallet credit to eligible recipients in December 2023.

“So, (the recipients) will receive it. We ask the public to be patient because the government will fulfil its promise,” the deputy minister said, adding that the initiative will not only be provided to household recipients, but also small business owners and petty traders.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had announced this e-wallet incentive back in July 2023, stating that it will be provided for all Malaysians aged 21 and above who earn an annual income of RM100,000 or less. It is the latest in a series of e-wallet credit initiatives that had been rolled out by the government in a bid to help the people, with previous ones including the e-Tunai Rakyat, ePemula, eBelia, and eBeliaRahmah programmes.

Aside from that, Sim also reiterated that the government will enhance the existing Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative under Budget 2024 by providing a monthly contribution of RM100 to more individuals for a longer period of time. Specifically, SARA was previously provided to 600,000 Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients for six months; under Budget 2024, the amount will be distributed to 700,000 STR recipients for 12 months.

“We provide RM100 monthly for a year to families that are under STR, this is on top of the STR itself. We provide direct cash assistance to our target groups so they can use the money to buy necessities. This is what we call direct cash transfer,” said Sim, adding that the budget allocation for STR has also been increased from RM8 billion to RM10 billion under the latest national budget.

On the topic of the SARA cash aid being misspent on items that are not daily necessities, Sim stressed that the government needs to show confidence in those who are less fortunate. “Don’t assume that the less fortunate will spend the money on cigarettes. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but there needs to be flexibility. Sometimes, if we set strict regulations, it causes difficulties for recipients because some of them have other needs and interests,” he said.

(Source: The Borneo Post)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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