SIK: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir has announced that the state will be handing out aid to rubber tappers and smallholders, whose incomes have been badly affected by the drop in rubber prices.
The aid would be disbursed to 100,000 people affected, Mukhriz said, adding that the RM500 payment would be made before Hari Raya Aidilfitri late next month.
Mukhriz said the one-off payment would be given out in stages to alleviate the burden of those who had suffered a drop in earnings, especially in view of the coming festivities.
The amount is part of a RM130 million allocation from the Federal Government to be distributed to rubber smallholders with less than 2.4ha of land.
Mukhriz said the allocation would also involve rubber tappers without any land.
"The government is mindful of the problems faced by the smallholders and will continue with initiatives to lighten their burden," he said at the launch of the district-level Mesra Rakyat Fiesta programme at Dataran Bandar Baru Beris Jaya here yesterday.
Present were state Information, Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah and Jeneri state assemblyman Mahadzir Abd Hamid.
