BUTTERWORTH: Those applying for welfare aid need to ensure they are registered voters in the constituency they are seeking help from.
Bagan member of parliament Lim Guan Eng said his constituency service centre has been facing difficult situations in which individuals seeking aid have been found not be registered voters there.
“There are many (welfare aid) applications on my table but strangely many of the applicants are not even registered voters here. As a government, we care for those facing economic difficulty or health problems but please ensure you are a voter in the constituency first as this is a Federal (Government) requirement.
“Applicants cannot cross into another constituency to seek help,” Lim said in his speech at a breaking of fast ceremony with locals at the Kampung Sungai Nyior surau here, yesterday.
At the same time, Lim, who is also Finance Minister, reminded the people, especially those in the B40 group, to apply for the mySalam Health Protection Scheme which covers 36 critical illnesses.
This initiative is aimed at helping the underprivileged have access to healthcare services, he said, adding that the Government is fully aware that there are families out there who cannot afford health insurance.
The Government is now drafting a new scheme that prior to this has never been implemented in Malaysia or even in South East Asia, he said, without giving further details.
“There are people who apply for welfare aid in two constituencies, one in which they are living and the other where they vote. We do not want such a situation because this is the requirement of the Federal Government. We (the applicants) cannot cross into another constituency to seek help,” he said.
He also said that several people had complained that their parliamentary constituency had been changed all of a sudden from Bagan to Nibong Tebal just before the 14th General Election in May last year. These people now face problems in applying for welfare aid from his service centre because they are no longer listed as voters in his Bagan constituency, he added. – Bernama
