With the Covid-19 outbreak turning the world upside down, are you one of the many Malaysians worried not just about your health, but also about how you’re going to get the next meal on the table?

To help you, the Malaysian government has introduced relief measures including assistance that puts cash directly into your hands under Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN), relief for bill and loan repayments, as well as allowing withdrawals from your retirement funds.

You can check your eligibility for BPN with the Inland Revenue Board (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negara – LHDN). If you are eligible, you must register with LHDN, while those registered for Bantuan Sara Hidup, the financial aid programme for the B40 group, will automatically receive BPN.

Below are some of the key assistance available:

Cash Aid
Families	One-off payments of between RM1,000 and RM1,600 per household for the B40 and M40 groups, including private sector workers, FELDA settlers, farmers, fishermen and small business owners.
Singles	Single individuals earning RM2,000 and below can get RM800 while those earning between RM2,000 and RM4,000 can get RM500.
Students	RM200 one-off aid for students in public and private institutes of higher learning, to be distributed in May 2020. Details on how this money will be given out have not been released, so students should check with their respective institutions.
Civil servants and pensioners	RM500 one-off cash payment to civil servants Grade 56 and below and government pensioners in April 2020.
E-hailing drivers	E-hailing drivers can receive RM500 one-off aid, although details of how to access the cash payment have not be released.
Taxi drivers, tour guides, tour bus drivers and trishaw operators	RM600 one-off aid will be deposited into registered accounts of the affected groups. Those who are registered can check and update their accounts at the Ministry of Finance’s website, www.treasury.gov.my.
Relief for Payments
Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR – People’s Housing Project) and Public Housing tenants	Rent-free from April 2020 to September 2020.
PPR rent-to-own tenants	Delay for monthly payments from April 2020 to September 2020. Tenants will have to repay the delayed payments later, with the tenants’ original repayment period to be extended.
PTPN repayments	Extension of repayments until 30 September 2020. Repayment period will be extended.
Electricity	2%-50% discount on TNB bills for households: ● 2% discount for electricity use of 601kWh and above ● 15% discount for electricity use between 301-600kWh ● 25% discount for electricity use between 201-300kWh ● 50% discount for electricity use up to 200kWh
Internet	Free internet for all customers.
Bank loans	Moratorium on all loans from April 2020 to September 2020.
Individual income tax	RM1,000 tax relief on spending related to domestic tourism.
Insurance premiums	Suspension of premium payments for life insurance and family takaful for three months.
Withdrawal of Retirement Savings
EPF	Withdrawal of up to RM500 per month from Account 2 for up to 12 months until March 2021. The period of withdrawals will depend on the month EPF members submit their applications, beginning April 2020. You can refer to the EPF’s FAQs on withdrawals here.
Private Retirement Schemes (PRS)	Withdrawal from Account B of up to RM1,500 for each member without tax penalty.

Further details on BPN are also available here and information on the government’s full Covid-19 assistance programme is available here, so if you or your business are feeling the pinch, do find out if you can get help. Do note that you may also be eligible for more than one type of aid.

Further enquiries can also be directed to:

Contact

Operation hours

Ministry of Finance

03-8882 9089/9087/9191/4565/4566

bsh@treasury.gov.my

pre2020@treasury.gov.my

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LHDN