Programme for senior citizens

Story and photo by OH ING YEEN

THE Selangor government will offer RM2,500 under a programme called “Mesra Usia Emas’’ to the senior citizen’s selected beneficiary upon death to help out with the funeral expenses or other expenses.

All senior citizens in Selangor aged 60 and above qualify for the programme. It is also for those born in Selangor or the Federal Territory before Feb 1, 1974 and those who have been residing in Selangor for at least 15 years.

According to the programme’s coordinator Kamsani Nasir from Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under the Mentri Besar Incorporation (MBI), this is one way for the state government to care for its people, especially the senior citizens.

“As far as I know, there is a similar scheme in Kelantan and there are plans to introduce it in Kedah as well.”

The beneficiary can collect RM1,000 from their respective state assemblyman within 24 hours after the death of the registered person.

All taken care of: Senior citizens getting help to fill the registration forms at the Chinese Temple in Serdang Lama recently.

“The beneficiary will have to present the original death certificate to collect the RM1,000. The state assemblyman will then stamp on the certificate to prevent people from collecting more than once. The beneficiary will receive the remaining RM1,500 within 60 days,” he said.

The forms for this programme can be obtained for free and should anyone tries to sell it a police report should be made.

“There have been cases where people have been conned into buying the form for RM10 or more and were promised help to register.

“We have been informed about the scam and the police have been notified as well,’’ said Kamsani.

Richard Yap, the special assistant to Damansara Utama assemblyman Dr Cheah Wing Yin, said he had received complaints from residents about the lack of publicity about the programme in the media, especially the English media.

“There are senior citizens coming to the DAP Damansara Utama service centre to register daily between 11pm and 2pm. However, so far only 1,000 have registered out of the 11,000 senior citizens in Damansara Utama. We have one of the highest number of senior citizens in the country.

“We have spread the word through Residents Associations (RAs), Rukun Tetangga and churches,” he said, adding that some do not want to register as they view it as a taboo as the money can only be obtained upon their deaths.

“There are also not many Malay and Indian senior citizens in Daman-sara Utama who have registered.” At Serdang Lama, 108 senior citizens registered for the scheme during a recent registration exercise held at the Chinese temple in the village.

Evonne Lee, the assistant of Selangor state executive councillor and Seri Kembangan state assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah said: “The registration can be done at the state assemblyman’s office. “However, we organised this programme in various areas in the constituency as a convenience to the villagers, especially senior citizens who are immobile or do not have transport.

“We will also go to the houses of senior citizens who are disabled to enable them to register,’’ she said. Some of the senior citizens at the temple said they did not consider the scheme as taboo and found the registration process quick and easy.

The senior citizens came with family members and among them was a 98-year-old grandmother who came with the aid of a walker to register.

Serdang Lama village head Liew Yen Fatt said the villagers knew about the scheme through word of mouth as well as well as from the Chinese newspapers.

To register, the senior citizens must bring along:

·Two photocopies of their IC;
·Two photocopies of the beneficiary’s IC; and
·Two photocopies of their caretaker’s IC (if he/she is not the beneficiary).

For more information about the Mesra Usia Emas programme, check with your local state assemblyman or call 03-5544 5578/ 03-5544 5579.

Tuesday November 11, 2008 The Star