Students in Selangor whose parents earn less than RM1,500 a month will receive a one-off payment of RM1,000 this year when they begin their tertiary education.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said: "Our focus will be on poor families who need the money the most to help them offset the cost of entering the university or taking up diploma programmes, regardless of race." Abdul Khalid, speaking to reporters after opening the Selangor Religious Department (Jais) Teachers Day celebrations, said the criteria for eligibility and the framework for dispensing the money was being worked out by the state financial officer.
It could done by elected representatives or through the district office.
The RM1,000 cash award was one of the promises made by Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat in a joint manifesto before the March 8 general election.
Selangor opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had criticised the Pakatan Rakyat government for being slow in fulfilling their manifesto promises. And he said the move would cost the state RM20 million a year.
Abdul Khalid said the state could not give the cash award to all students in the state because the budget for the year was already determined before the Pakatan Rakyat government took over.
He said it was possible more would receive the RM1,000 aid next year. But this would only be decided before next year's budget is tabled.
On the Balkis issue, Abdul Khalid said the state government had yet to receive word from the Registrar of Societies about the status of the Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation.
He said the state would be writing to the RoS for the second time for an update and the status of the charity will be debated during the upcoming legislative assembly.
Past president Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik had tried to dissolve the charity and transferred RM9.9 million of the organisation's funds to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) after the general election.
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