AFTER running on empty for almost three weeks, many trishaw riders in Penang heaved a huge sigh of relief when they received a one-off RM500 cash payment from the state government near Maybank in Komtar today.
Of the 329 names that were on the list, 90 came to receive the incentive.
The aid is part of the RM75 million economic stimulus package that Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had recently announced to help the vulnerable and low-income groups.
One of the trishaw riders, N. Ragu, 61, was all smiles after receiving the money.
He said: “I have been riding trishaw since 1991. The last four weeks have been extremely difficult for me.
“Now it’s very hard to earn money because of so many taxis, Grab cars and free bus services. It’s a big challenge to trishaw riders.
“In normal times (before the movement control order), I can earn about RM40 to RM50 per day. Now, I am getting older and cannot do so many trips.
“It’s not only that I have no business now but also I have to pay for my room rental of RM250. I have a son and a daughter, sometimes they give me a bit of money.
“Sometimes people come to Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling to give me and others some food to eat.
“The RM500 from the state government is very good for me. I am indeed happy.”
Another recipient was Abdul Latiff Mohd, who is the chairman of the Persatuan Penarik Beca Pulau Pinang.
The 73-year-old, who has 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, also said life has been very challenging.
“I am renting a unit at Alim Shavaley flat in Lebuh Chulia for RM500 a month. Fortunately, I get some money from my children.
“When there is no movement control order, trishaw peddlers can earn approximately between RM600 and RM1,000 a month. It all depends on how hard working they are and the tourist arrivals.
“Since 2009, trishaw peddlers have been getting RM20 each per week from the state. But unfortunately, since the movement control order, we have not been able to receive the allowance for the past four weeks.
“So, I hope we can get it. And I also want to thank the state government for thinking of people like us and giving us some financial help.”
State Tourism Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage (Petach) Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said they had decided to open the counters to give out the aid to the trishaw riders because many of them do not have a bank account.
“This is the most challenging part compared to other recipients.
“Anyway, we still manage to get it done. And thanks to all the people involved to make the distribution a success, like the MBPP (Penang Island City Council), police, Komtar security personnel, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) George Town, my office and YB Phee Boon Poh’s office and the state Economic Planning Unit,” Yeoh said.
Today’s aid programme was also overseen by M. Maheswari, who is the Under Secretary for the State Economic Planning Division under the Penang State Secretariat.
“We’ve to disburse the funds as soon as possible because this is one of the vulnerable groups who do not have any source of income. There is no tourist coming in anymore,” said Maheswari, who is also the secretary to the State Assembly.
“We were also very lucky that we managed to get the CERT team through YB Phee’s help.
“They did the screening, checked the recipients’ body temperature and made sure they practise the social distancing. There are about 10 CERT members including doctors in the team.”
Although the programme was supposed to start at 10am, Maheswari said they decided to move it forward to 8.15am as there were already many trishaw peddlers present.
She added that from the state’s weekly aid distribution, not more than 120 actually turned up. So, she said they would be checking with the National Registry Department for updates.
“All this while, we have been giving aid to those who operate in the city centre. Recently there was a request from trishaw peddlers in Batu Ferringhi because it’s a tourist belt there.
“We have got their names, only about 20 of them. We will be presenting it to the state exco and proposing that they be given aid as well,” Maheswari said.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud