Special committee to help poor Indians obtain assistance

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KUALA LUMPUR: Low income earners in the Indian community, who are not listed as aid recipients under the Social Welfare Department, should register with the Indian Community Special Committee.

This would enable MIC president and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk G Palanivel to monitor those eligible for social welfare assistance, and take the necessary measures.

The special committee has been set up by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, through the Social Welfare Department, with the cooperation of the MIC.

The minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said the list of names registered with the special committee was monitored by Palanivel.

“Currently, 57,000 people from the Indian community receive Social Welfare Department assistance every month, with government allocation amounting to RM164 million.

“This is despite, not many eligible individuals being registered. As such, we want the committee to look into those eligible for social welfare assistance aid to be coordinated,” she said.

Shahrizat was speaking to reporters after launching the IMalaysia Deepavali

People Welfare Programme at the Sentul Perdana Community Centre here yesterday.

Under the programme, 814 Malaysians from the low income group, senior citizens and disabled people of Indian origin receive a RM200 contribution each, among others. — Bernama