Putrajaya expands period poverty initiatives among form six, vocational college students

KOTA BHARU - The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry is working towards aiding form six and vocational college students, suffering from cost of living issues, including period poverty

Its deputy minister Fuziah Salleh said the ministry previously received an application for a Special Rahmah programme on the issue.

She said the students represented the group that would face difficulties due to a lack of allowance aid. They had to stay in a dormitory along with having additional costs.

"The life of students were rough without allowances as most are in the B40 group," she told reporters after the Kelantan State Level Livelihood Outreach and Advocacy and Consumerism Programme here on Wednesday.

Also present was Kelantan State Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director Azman Ismail.

Fuziah said the application may be inserted into the Cashless Assistance Pilot Initiative voucher that the government established last year.

Fuziah said the initiative involved 4,116 students throughout the nation, with an allocation of almost RM800,000.

She said form six and vocational college students from B40 households through the initiative would receive an e-wallet aid of RM50 for three months consecutively and expected to finish its allocation in August.

Fuziah presented the Cashless Assistance Pilot Initiative vouchers to 240 form six students and selected vocational colleges throughout Kelantan.

The ministry is now planning to expand the Cashless Assistance Pilot Initiative to aid students in need.

She said the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) would present a report to its parties and discuss for the pilot initiative to be expanded as it was effective for students in poverty.

She said the e-wallet would be barred if there was a misuse of it among students including the purchase of online game applications.