THE Penang government has urged the two local councils – Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) – and the Penang Financial Officer to make haste the disbursement of the one-off payments, under the Penang People’s Aid Package, to the licensed traders and hawkers, and the councils’ frontline workers.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said that he wanted to reduce the red tape involved and urged the mayors to quicken the process.
“We hope that the payments can be channelled to those eligible as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow (April 1).
“The state cares for the rakyat and that is why it initiated the Penang People’s Aid Package to lessen the financial burden of the people,” he said in his speech in front of the City Hall at the Esplanade today.
Licensed traders and hawkers will receive a one-off RM500 payment under the package while council frontliners will each receive RM300.
There is a total of 4,991 frontline workers in both MBPP and MBSP.
Jagdeep encouraged the council workers to continue to keep the state clean.
He also urged some 2,000 licensed hawkers and traders to contact the MBPP to register their account numbers with the council to get the RM500 payment.
They can type COVID500 and send a WhatsApp message to 016-2004082. The traders will need to fill in the details via the link given.
“The MBPP already has the account information of some 5,000 traders and hawkers.
“Meanwhile, the MBSP will be setting up a portal for all licensed traders and hawkers on the mainland to register their accounts to obtain the one-off payment,” he said.
Responding to a question from the press, Jagdeep said that the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and the works council would have to address issues pertaining to certain companies not paying salaries to their employees or forcing them to take a pay cut.
“We can discuss (the matter) with the relevant agencies at the state level. I would say that this is a legal issue. The MTUC and the works council will have to come in and take action,” he said.
Also present were MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang, MBSP mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud and MBPP secretary Datuk Addnan Mohd Razali.
Story and pix by Christopher Tan