KUALA LUMPUR: A government backbencher has called for a higher income benchmark when deciding who qualifies for welfare aid, saying struggling families need help with more than just food.
Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) said the social welfare department (JKM) had been using a monthly household income of RM1,236, or RM348 per family member, as a guide when assessing applications for financial aid since Jan 1.
Syerleena, of DAP, said RM1,236 was the poverty line for food alone, while the country's overall poverty line, which includes other basic needs, stood at RM2,705 in 2024.
“Families also have to pay rent, bills, transport, school expenses, adult diapers, medicine and medical treatment,” she said when debating the 2027 budget in the Dewan Rakyat today.
She proposed using RM2,705 as a starting point, with adjustments based on family size, location, and living costs.
“Don't withdraw all assistance just because someone's income rises slightly. Give them room to stabilise and stand on their own feet,” she said.
Syerleena said middle-income families often missed out on government aid despite struggling to pay for housing, their children's education, and care for elderly parents.
She urged the government to review the rules for receiving aid, and provide more tax relief for education, healthcare, and family care expenses.
In January, deputy women, family and community development minister Lim Hui Ying said JKM had set the threshold of the national food poverty line income (food PLI) at RM1,236 as a criterion for welfare aid.
It was previously set at RM1,198.
A household with a gross monthly income below RM1,236 is classified as hardcore poor.
Lim said recipients' eligibility was reviewed annually, taking into account their financial and social circumstance.
Under the 2027 budget, the government has set aside nearly RM3.3 billion for JKM assistance, which includes financial help for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and struggling families.
The statistics department had also reported that 5.1% of households were living below the poverty line in 2024, down from 6.2% in 2022.