STAR, Friday November 4, 2011
New machine: Yim (right) and Goh (centre, longsleeved shirt) looking at the students filling their cups with water from the dispenser.
GOVERNMENT departments and agencies involved in disbursing cash handouts to the public under the Budget 2012 should hold functions to personally hand over the cash to recipients.
Bayan Baru Barisan Nasional coordinator David Yim proposed that the bodies invite Federal Government leaders and Barisan coordinators to the functions.
“This way, the people can feel that they are receiving the money directly. If the money is banked into the recipients’ account, the feeling will not be there,” he said to reporters after presenting 16 water dispensers to eight Chinese schools in Bayan Baru at SJK (C) Min Sin.
He was referring to the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that all students from Year One to Form Five would receive RM100 each under the 2012 Budget.
Najib had said RM200 book vouchers would also be given to Form Six and matriculation students.
He also announced that cash handout of RM500 would be given to households with income of less than RM3,000.
Yim said it was better that the money was directly given to the recipients.
Batu Uban Barisan coordinator Goh Keng Sneah, who was present at the function, urged the state government to provide free water supply to Chinese schools to reduce the schools’ financial burden.
Goh, who is Penang Gerakan secretary, said some of the schools had to pay water bills ranging from RM500 to RM1,000 every two months.
“The Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd can waive the water bills or charge a token of RM1,” he said.
The schools which received the water dispensers were SJK (C) Keong Hoe, SJK (C) Kwang Hwa, SJK (C) Min Sin, SJK (C) Shih Chung, SJK (C) Chung Shan, SJK (C) Chung Cheng, SJK (C) Wen Khai and SMJK (C) Phor Tay.
Each school received two water dispensers worth RM2,000 each.
