Karim and Fatimah against abolition of BR1M

August 28, 2018

KUCHING: The federal government’s decision to phase out the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) in the near future does not sit well with several leaders of the Sarawak government.

In fact, they described the decision to cease the aid, which was first introduced by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in 2012, on the grounds that there were elements of corruption on it as unreasonable.

The Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the distribution of BR1M has been transparent, which is meant to help reduce the burden of recipients in meeting their daily needs.

“It’s not given to any Tom, Dick and Harry but only to those who qualify and meet the criteria. I don’t see any element of corruption in this handout because who the recipients support is never used as the yardstick for disbursement.

Buka akaun bank permudah agihan BR1M

April 11, 2015

SESAK: Penerima Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia berbaris untuk mengambil baucar masing-masing di Kompleks Sukan Asajaya semalam.

Pembayaran guna baucar banyak kesulitan, undang risiko kepada penerima dan bank

ASAJAYA: Penerima Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) yang masih menggunakan kaedah pembayaran melalui baucar dinasihat membuka akaun bank.

Perkara itu diingatkan oleh Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yang memberitahu keadah pembayaran melalui baucar mungkin tidak akan dipakai sekiranya BR1M diteruskan pada tahun hadapan.

“Kaedah pembayaran melalui baucar ini memberi banyak kesulitan, sebab itu kerajaan menyarankan agar penerima bantuan BR1M membuka akaun masing-masing bagi memudahkan pembayaran dilakukan dengan cepat dan mudah tanpa perlu melibatkan banyak pihak,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap pada Majlis Penyerahan BR1M kepada 1,231 penerima terdiri daripada keluarga dan individu bujang di Kompleks Sukan Asajaya di sini semalam.

Karim yang juga Menteri Muda Perumahan berkata, kaedah lama itu mendatangkan pelbagai risiko kepada penerima mahupun pihak pengurusan dan perbankan semasa pengagihan dijalankan.

“Kalau dahulu pihak bank terpaksa turun padang bagi memudahkan penerima BR1M menunaikan baucar tersebut sekali gus mendatangkan pelbagai risiko kepada penerima mahupun pihak perbankan.

“Tetapi kaedah baharu pembayaran melalui akaun lebih memudahkan dan selamat digunakan oleh penerima mahupun pihak bank,” tambahnya.

PKR Nangka chief blasted for remark on BR1M 4.0

October 17, 2014

SIBU: Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah blasted PKR Nangka chief for his unfounded remark on BR1M 4.0, calling it a move to gain popularity.

Abdul Karim, who is also Asajaya assemblyman, was reacting to Abdul Raafidin Majidi’s claim that the government’s move to increase BR1M 4.0 for all recipients was to pacify the people in the wake of the reduction in fuel subsidy by 20 sen.

Abdul Raafidin further likened the government’s approach under Budget 2015 as administering ‘paracetamol to cancer patients’, while calling it a populist approach.

Azmin, please look at countries implementing GST

November 1, 2013

SIBU: Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a system adopted by almost 200 countries worldwide, Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said yesterday.

“Had the tax system been counter-productive, it would not have been adopted by a majority of countries in the world, whether developed or undeveloped,” he pointed out.

“GST is implemented in 160 countries in the world…definitely, there will be hitches here and there when it is implemented come 2015. But Malaysians would soon adjust themselves to this new system,” he said.

He was reacting to Gombak MP Azmin Ali who had said that Malaysia was seen as not ready to implement the new tax because more than 40 per cent of the people had household income of less than RM2,500 a month, with 80 per cent being Malays and Bumiputras.

Azmin was reported by Bernama as saying that GST would squeeze the low income earners and the poor.

He said the government must take a leaf from developed nations which only implemented GST after their tax infrastructure were strong and income taxes were reduced to avoid burdening the people.

Meanwhile, Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said: “I do agree with YB Azmin, MP Gombak. That the current tax infrastructure must be strengthened and consolidated so that the tax system is efficient and only hit the right target and objectives.

Make full use of govt aid, students told

February 22, 2013

KUCHING: Students must make full use of government assistances that have been granted to them, said Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

“With the various forms of assistance and initiatives introduced by the government, there are some people who have become lazy and dependent on the financial assistance and they start to take things for granted.

“However, we should not forget the government’s effort in improving the lives of the people and thus we should make full use of the aid received to improve ourselves,” he said.

Karim was speaking at the ceremony to hand over 1Malaysia Book Vouchers (BB1M) for students of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) at the university’s Student Pavilion here yesterday, where ten students received their vouchers in the symbolic event which was also attended by Unimas vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Hamid yesterday.

“Assistance such as BB1M has been designed to help ease students’ expenditures on books. With that taken care of, use your time wisely while studying at Unimas and strive towards achieving academic excellence to fulfil your parents’ hope and become contributing members of the society,” he advised.

In his speech, Karim also announced a donation of RM10,000 to Unimas Students Representative Council to assist them in the organising of activities and programmes.

Meanwhile, Khairuddin said that more than 13,000 students from the university are expected to receive the BB1M vouchers today, which is estimated to be worth more than RM3.25 million.

BB1M ke peransang nembiak universiti nyulut dalam pelajar: Karim

February 22, 2013

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sepenyampau 13,000 iku nembiak Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) deka nerima Baucer Bup 1Malaysia (BB1M) ti diagih enggau tuju meransang nembiak universiti nyulut dalam pengawa pelajar.

Menteri Muda Pengawa Berumah Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah madahka bantu nya disedia perintah ngambika tau ngelempungka belanja sida (nembiak universiti) bebelika bup.

Ku iya, perintah semampai meratika pemerat pengawa pelajar nembiak di universiti ke alai bantu BB1M tau bendar meransang sida iya teulihka pemujur.

“Mayuh macham bantu udah disediaka perintah ungkup pemaik enggau pengelantang rayat.

BB1M diagihka ngagai semua nembiak universiti ngambika ulih meransang sida nyadi mensia ti beguna jemah.

“Ba taun ke udah (2012), bantu BB1M tu keterubah iya disadung lalu dilanjarka ngagai taun 2013 sebaka enggau program bantu rayat ke bukai,”ku iya.

Iya mansutka jaku tu ba pengerami ‘simbolik’ nyerahka BB1M ngagai 10 iku pengari nembiak UNIMAS ti diatur di Student Pavillion kemari.

BR1M 2.0 comes from the heart — Abdul Karim

February 16, 2013

KUCHING: 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M 2.0) is not a ploy by the BN to fish for votes in the impending 13th general election.

Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the government distributed the first BR1M last year even though there was no election then.

“The giving out of cash aid reflects the generosity and caring attitude of the government towards the people,” he said at the disbursement of BR1M 2.0 at Asajaya Sports Complex yesterday.

He advised BR1M recipients to be thrifty.

“I hope that each one of you (recipient) will spend the money wisely. Buy school books or something that could benefit the whole household.”

He said he believed if the BN government remained in power after the impending polls, such aids might continue to be given in the future.

“It would also be possible to see the amount be increased further from the RM500 given out now if our nation continued to prosper.”

House applicant to unit available ratio is 8:1 in Sarawak

Midin Salad

By Yu Ji

Wednesday April 11, 2012

“Demand far outstrips supply. At a public housing in Matang (close to Kuching), there are currently 2,512 applicants vying for just 311 units. That’s an applicant-units-available ratio of 8:1. Providing enough affordable housing is a monumental task with demands that are ever growing.” - Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

Voting patterns will again be split between urban and rural areas, perhaps more so than ever before.

AFFORDABILITY is such an unattractive word.

It neither rolls off the tongue nor is the word usually part of daily conversation.

The word means cost in relation to whether you and I are able to pay for things. In conversation, affordability is usually used to imply low cost.

Affordability will be an underlying theme in the coming months, chief of all during the campaigns in the general election.

This will be a period when politicians promise to make affordability greater among more of us; a time when we will hear much promises on bridging the gap between rural and urban affordability.

Decision long made: A farmer putting up Barisan Nasional party flags at his farm house

in Kampung Gedong, Serian, about 90km from Kuching in this file pic. Where you live

is a good indication of which side you vote for. For rural voters like this farmer, there

is less risk in the old and tested.

In Sarawak, there is a gap, make no mistake, it is a large one in fact. The affordability gap is also closer than you might like to think.

Drive, say, 30 minutes outside of any urban centre, and low affordability is a fact of life easily observed.

Sure, in the heart of Kuching city, affor- dability might seem generally quite high. Here, there are about 700,000 people, making up hundreds of thousands of households.

At present, each household in the state capital has an average combined income of above RM6,000.

But there are a total of 2.5 million people in Sarawak. The rural-urban ratio is esti- mated at 50:50 presently, which means there are about 1.25 million people in rural areas.

It is at these areas where Sarawak’s poor still largely remain.

By the year 2020, the rural-urban ratio would stand at 40:60, best estimates show.

Urbanites would make up the majority in Sarawak.

Ensuring there is enough affordable housing in urban centres will be the Government’s greatest challenge (alongside job creation).

Earlier this month at a gathering of real estate developers, Assistant Housing Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had this to say in relation to affordable housing.

“Demand far outstrips supply. At a public housing in Matang (close to Kuching), there are currently 2,512 applicants vying for just 311 units. That’s an applicant-units-available ratio of 8:1. Providing enough affordable housing is a monumental task with demands that are ever growing.”

Under state rules, public housing is capped at about RM60,000.

Given the high demand, it should be very apparent that affordability for a great many is much lower than we — you and I, consumers of this newspaper, avid Twitter and Facebook users, iPhone enthusiasts and latte drinkers — would like to assume.

In Sarawak, affordability between the have and have-nots is vast and widening. In fact, where you live reflects your level of income. A postcode gives away your income levels.

About 70% of Sarawakians are from households that have a combined income of under RM6,000. Out of this group, 40% have household incomes under RM1,500.

In the general election, the people’s affordability will determine voting patterns. Again, voting patterns will be split between urban and rural areas, perhaps more so than ever before.

Where you live is a good indication of which side you vote for. For those with higher affordability, they are more likely to take a chance.

It is much easier to vote for change when it entails lesser risk to your already comfortable lifestyle.

But for those with low affordability — who are far-flung and with fewer opportunities — their voting patterns will likely remain conservative.

So while some might be swayed by matters like Bersih 3.0, for the many others tightly constrained by affordability, BR1M has had much more relevance.

The campaign will be on affordability, and it has actually began a long time ago.

   

Abdul Karim: Hike in pension rate not an election gimmick

March 30, 2012

KUCHING: The recent increase in pension rate for government pensioners is not a gimmick to fish for votes, said Assistant Housing Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Speaking at the opening of the 40th annual general meeting of Sarawak Pensioners Association (PPKS), he pointed out that pensioners now enjoy many benefits including the RM500 assistance under the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) for households earning under RM3,000.

“All of these are not because the election is near,” he said. Abdul Karim was representing Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg for the function.

Government pensioners are set to receive a corresponding 7 to 13 per cent increase in their monthly pensions to be paid beginning April, with arrears from January this year. This is following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the improved Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM).

Abdul Karim also reminded pensioners, who had yet to apply for BR1M assistance, to do so before the deadline on March 31.

On another matter, he also advised pensioners to continue contributing positively to the society even though they were no longer serving in the government service.

“Treat retirement days as golden stage of your life, not as sunset stage,” he said.

RM500 aid not a vote-buying tactic, says Asajaya rep

Friday February 3, 2012

KUCHING: The 1Malaysia People’s Aids (BR1M) is not Barisan Na- sional’s ploy to buy votes, says Youth Development Assistant Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said Barisan did not need to fish for votes because with or without the RM500 aid, the people would still vote for Barisan.

He said the aid was for all Malaysians whose total household income was less than RM3,000 a month regardless of which political side they belonged to.

“Whether you have voted for PAS, DAP, PKR or Barisan, you will get it if you are qualified. This money is given to every qualified Malaysian citizen regardless of race and religion. The Government is concerned about the people,” he said at a presentation ceremony at the Asajaya Sports Complex in Samarahan yesterday.

BN will win Kota Samarahan — Abdul Karim

February 3, 2012

ASAJAYA: Several people who are said to be capable grassroots leaders are ready to be shortlisted as the new Barisan Nasional candidate for Kota Samarahan if the incumbent MP Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib is not re-nominated.

Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, however, did not want to say if Sulaiman’s elder brother Dato Sri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib was among them.

He was nonetheless confident that whoever the candidate is, BN would still win in Kota Samarahan in the coming general election because the people’s support for BN in the constituency was still very strong.

“At one time, I heard rumour about him (Abu Bekir), but the rumour has since fizzled out. I’m not too sure whether he’s interested or not (in the seat).

“But if he were to contest, it should not be a problem. Kota Samarahan is a BN stronghold,” he told reporters after presenting the Kota Samarahan parliamentary-level Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) cash aid at Asajaya Sports Complex here yesterday.

According to Karim, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member, the list of potential new candidates for Kota Samarahan had been narrowed down to a few names.

However, Abdul Karim did not want to reveal the numbers and their identities, except to say that the top leaders would make the announcement in due time.

Asajaya first to disburse BR1M aid

January 22, 2012

KUCHING: Asajaya became the first in the state to disburse RM270,000 in BR1M aid to 540 recipients at the Asajaya Sports Complex yesterday.

Maybank Berhad was on hand to process the vouchers and give out the RM500 cash to the first and second phase recipients.

“The third phase will receive their money after the Chinese New Year,” said Asajaya state assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah when handing out the vouchers to the recipients.

The remaining 5,101 people would receive their money in due time.

“We will stagger the disbursement of the money as it involves a huge amount of recipients,” said Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Housing.

According to him, the majority of the recipients were fishermen and farmers.

“For the BR1M, the government has allocated RM3 billion to be disbursed to the rakyat who need a financial boost,” he said.