Budget 2023: Kemas volunteer assistants will receive RM800 allowance starting March, says Zahid

February 26, 2023

Budget 2023: Kemas volunteer assistants will receive RM800 allowance starting March, says Zahid

DUNGUN: The monthly allowance for more than 9,439 volunteer community assistants at Community Development Department (Kemas) kindergartens nationwide will be increased from RM500 to RM800 starting next month, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, said the increase in allowance for the 9,439 Kemas volunteers involved an additional allocation of RM30 million that was announced in the 2023 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.

“The increment of allowance is in appreciation of the contributions by Kemas members in implementing various efforts to improve the quality of life in rural communities, such as preparing dietary needs, ensuring the safety of children and maintaining the cleanliness of their premises,” he said.

Zahid was speaking after a working visit to the headquarters of the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah), an agency under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, in Bandar Al Muktafi Billah Shah, Dungun, here today.

He added that when the payments of Kemas allowance began in 2011, it was only RM400 a month and was raised to RM500 in 2017. Kemas members, in general, were regarded as the frontliners of the government and served as agents of change, who mediate between the people and government.

Meanwhile, Zahid hoped that the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) would understand that the government had always fulfilled its demands despite financial constraints.

“The payment of emulants and pension are compulsory and undertaken by the government. These are permanent costs to the government and I feel Cuepacs, as an organisation that safeguards the welfare of civil servants, can understand the situation.

“In my opinion, the prime minister has given attention to the needs of the civil servants by giving a special bonus of RM700 to those in Grade 56 and below as well as RM350 to pensioners in view of the coming Aidilfitri celebrations,” he said.

Cuepacs claimed that the 2023 Budget was a disappointment as it did not address the rising cost of living, which continued to be a burden for civil servants.

Its president, Datuk Adnan Mat, said that there was no commitment by the government to raise the wages of civil servants to match the high cost of living in the budget. — BERNAMA