A total of seven million households and unmarried individuals have applied for the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) 2.0 which will be paid out next month, Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said today.

He said 4.1 million of the applicants were households which had received the BR1M last year and the rest were fresh applicants comprising about 1.7 million unmarried individuals as well as households which had just applied.

"We have brought forward to this year the 4.1 million BR1M recipients of last year (without them having to register again). We anticipate more than six million BR1M 2.0 recipients.

"The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) has to verify all the fresh applicants prior to payment," he told reporters after opening the Menara Hasil Sungai Petani building in Bandar Amanjaya, Kedah.

husni eon bank function 120310 ahmad husni Ahmad Husni (left) said the payment would be made from Feb 1 to 28, and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak would officially launch the payment on Feb 2.

"The BR1M payment will be handled by the district office or the zone development officer. They will ensure that the payment is received by all eligible applicants," he said.

RM3 billion allocated

Ahmad Husni said the payment to be made next month would be for those who had registered up to Dec 31 last year.

"We have not closed the applications. For applications made after Dec 31, the payment will be made after February. This is because we need time to process the applications.

"It is the policy of the prime minister that all eligible applicants will receive the payment," he said.

NONE Ahmad Husni said this year's BR1M payment was expected to involve an allocation of RM3 billion. Last year, 4.1 million recipients received a total of RM2.1 billion.

Under the BR1M, introduced last year, households with a monthly income of less than RM3,000 are eligible to receive RM500.

For BR1M 2.0, the government extended the aid to single unmarried individuals aged 21 and above with a monthly income of less than RM2,000. These people will receive RM250.

Menara Hasil Sungai Petani, which stands on 2.26 hectares, was handed over to the LHDN on Oct 9 last year. It replaces the old Sungai Petani LHDN office at the SP Plaza complex which has been in operation since 1997.

At the event, Ahmad Husni also launched the LHDN new tag line of "HASiL, Your Feel Good Partner".

Also present at the event was LHDN chief executive officer Mohd Shukor Mahfar.

- Bernama