Answer for Oral Question PL251

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📖 Reading time: 3 minutes
📊 Word count: 470 words

YANG BERHORMAT PENGIRAN HAJI ISA BIN PENGIRAN HAJI ALIUDDIN

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT PENGIRAN HAJI ISA BIN PENGIRAN HAJI ALIUDDIN asked the MINISTER OF CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORTS whether the Ministry could review and reassess the eligibility criteria of the SKN assistance scheme more transparently? This is due to applicants being rejected despite their income being insufficient to support a large family, raising concerns about fairness during the aid evaluation process.

YANG BERHORMAT MENTERI KEBUDAYAAN, BELIA DAN SUKAN

ANSWER:

1. Thank you, Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua and Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin, for the question regarding the Ministry's plan to review and reassess the eligibility criteria of the SKN assistance scheme.

2. Firstly, peramba/kaola I wish to clarify that SKN is a system used as a platform to receive and process applications for Monthly Welfare Aid, Zakat Distribution Aid for Asnaf Fakir and Miskin, and Annual Schooling Needs Assistance. In terms of transparency in processing aid applications, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports always takes serious consideration to ensure that the aids provided remain relevant to the current situation.

3. For the information of Your Honourable Members, in determining the eligibility of assistance recipients, this Ministry refers to the Minimum Cost of Basic Needs (KMKA) produced by the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (JPES) based on the Household Expenditure Survey in 2015/2016. The KMKA calculation is derived through detailed analysis of the basic needs costs required by a household, including factors of the number of dependents and household expenditure. This information serves as an important basis in determining the eligibility of assistance applications. Eligibility to receive assistance according to KMKA is also adjusted according to the ratio and equivalence values of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-Modified to align a reasonable amount of assistance for each member in a family or household. The OECD-Modified equivalence value is used by most countries worldwide as a measure in assessing income inequality and the level of low-income groups in a country. KMKA and the OECD-Modified equivalence value are combined and used as a measure to assess the eligibility of a household or an individual in receiving assistance (means-testing).

4. As an ongoing effort to ensure the criteria used remain relevant to the current socio-economic situation and are more inclusive of various applicant backgrounds, JAPEM is currently in the process of updating the guidelines for monthly welfare aid assessment eligibility.

5. As part of this updating process, JAPEM also conducts workshops involving members of the Monthly Welfare Aid Evaluation Committee, Penghulus and Village Heads, and relevant agencies to gather improvement inputs according to their respective portfolios. The workshop aims to reassess the existing criteria and evaluation approaches and propose improvements to enhance transparency and fairness in making aid application decisions.

6. That is all that can be discussed, junjung kasih / thank you.