Selangor: The Selangor state government has expanded the eligibility criteria for the Kita Selangor Voucher (BKS) programme, now allowing married couples with a monthly income of RM5,000 and below to apply for the aid.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Selangor Women's Development and Social Welfare Committee Exco Anfaal Saari announced that the programme, previously open only to single parents, will now extend to married couples who meet the specified requirements. Applicants must be Malaysian citizens and registered voters residing in Selangor, with a household income of RM5,000 and below, and must have at least one child under the age of 18. To ensure the aid is fair and targeted, only one recipient is permitted per household, and applicants must not be active recipients of the Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor (BINGKAS) programme, she stated during a press conference at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly building.
Anfaal noted that new applications and information verification can be made via the official BKS portal starting at 8.00 am on August 8. Eligible recipients will receive assistance of RM100 per month for six months to help ease the cost of living. Commenting on the programme's response, she mentioned that the state government has set an overall quota of 50,000 recipients. As of this morning, 18,889 applications have been received, with 3,747 approved and 3,044 active recipients. There are also about 54,000 pending applications, possibly due to incomplete supporting documents or applicants not previously meeting the requirements.
She further explained that based on applications currently being processed, there remains room for approximately 32,000 more recipients before the 50,000 quota is filled. In addition to expanding the eligibility criteria, Anfaal highlighted that the state government has simplified the application process by no longer requiring a statutory declaration as proof of no income or residency in Selangor, aiming to encourage more eligible families to apply for the aid.
Regarding voucher redemption, Anfaal mentioned that there are currently about 1,000 premises participating in the programme, which will be increased over time through collaboration with Selangor Health Care Sdn Bhd (Selcare) and State Constituency Service Centres.