by AUFA MARDHIAH / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

THE Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) in partnership with Kiplepay Sdn Bhd has introduced a special outreach effort for Orang Asli in Perak.

The partnership is aimed to bolster digital literacy among layers of the society via the Kasih Ibu Darul Ridzuan (KIDR) programme (financial aid initiative) and Kiplepay.

Through this programme, the Orang Asli community will be given prepaid cards with RM250 reload monthly from the federal government.

The card will help them to purchase basic necessities from local merchants and mobile merchants.

The use of mobile merchants is guaranteed to help and facilitate the Orang Asli communities especially to those living in the outback and enables them to purchase essential items easily.

NCIA CEO Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John (picture) said the KIDR initiative is in line with the government’s goal to move the entire digital nation forward.

“We aim to help eradicate poverty among Malaysia’s low-income communities which in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan by enabling mobile merchants to adopt this feature with Kiplepay’s cashless cards,” Jebasingam said in a statement yesterday.

He also hopes that people in the rural areas will be inspired to upskill their digital literacy and embrace digital change.

Kiplepay acting CEO Ricky Lew also highlighted that the programme will expose the Orang Asli community to contactless payment transactions.

“This move will further encourage communities in rural areas to embrace digital solutions in their lives, therefore opening them up to more opportunities in the future.”

To date, the programme has benefitted 1,094 Orang Asli from 4,701 recipients and involves 25 Orang Asli merchants from 150 merchants in 2021.

“I hope that the KIDR programme can be continued and expanded so that more eligible recipients can receive this benefit.

“To a large extent, this alleviates the burden borne by the lack of a fixed source of income and the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Johara Binti Pandak, Orang Asli recipient from Pos Raya, Kampung Kepayang, Perak.

“The KIDR programme not only eases the burden of high cost of living for the recipients in my area, but also increases the sales of my business when they come to spend their monthly allocation from my shop,” said Kulop Pandak, a retailer in Kampung Orang Asli Tumbuh Hangat in Bota, Perak, said.

Previously, the existing partnership aims to provide range of cashless solutions to poor and hardcore poor communities in northern states that focuses on low-income women from household with no fixed income.