A cash aid of RM500 will be given out to each of the 388,111 rubber smallholders in the country.
The one-off aid, totalling RM194 million, will be disbursed to smallholders beginning today, Bernama reports.
In announcing the payment, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the money was meant to ease burden faced by smallholders due to the drop in rubber prices.
“This aid is not because of the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-election as we have given it in 2013, 2014 and this is the third time,” he was quoted as saying.
“If there are people who said this aid (is given) because of the by-election, it is not true. This concerns the welfare of the rural community,” Najib was quoted further.
