100 disabled protest welfare scheme
Reshna Reem Ganesan -March 1, 2022 1:58 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: About 100 persons with disabilities (PwD) gathered today to demand that the government do away with its JKMPay cashless payment scheme and to reinstate the cash incentive allowance.
Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia (ILTC) president, Francis Siva said this was not their first protest.
“We have raised this issue with women, family and community development minister Rina Harun but the problem has yet to be addressed,” he said today at a press conference held along Jalan Parlimen here.
He said the ministry had failed to consult the PwD community regarding the scheme.
JKMPay was launched last April by Rina. Half of the approved cash aid to PwD was to be distributed through this cashless card.
The programme, launched with the cooperation of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB), allowed the cashless card to be used at stores registered with the bank.
“The scheme is unfair and has caused difficulties for our community members. It’s more of a burden than help,” he said.
Malaysia Spinal Injury Association (MASIA) secretary S Jeyaraj said several civil society organisations involving the disabled community had arranged to meet Rina to discuss the JKMPay. However, only the ministry’s representatives turned up.
“Rina has a responsibility as a minister but she sent her representatives, who could not answer our queries,” he said.
“So far, JKMPay has been suspended but we want it abolished.”
The PwD community was supposed to hand a memorandum on abolishing JKMPay to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today. Instead, they had to hand it to a representative from the prime minister’s office.
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