SHAH ALAM, Jan 23 — A total of 650 vouchers under the ‘Jom Shopping’ Chinese New Year program will be distributed to eligible recipients in the Banting state constituency in conjunction with the upcoming festival.
Executive counsellor for poverty eradication Papparaidu Veraman said the voucher distribution is scheduled to begin next month for recipients who have been identified.
“Based on last year’s usage, the program in DUN Banting received a positive response, with 647 beneficiaries recorded,” he told Media Selangor.
Papparaidu, who is also the Banting state assemblyman, added that the 2026 state-level program targets 26,000 beneficiaries with a total allocation of RM5.2 million.
“This total also includes an additional quota of 1,000 vouchers allocated by excos for certain constituencies, subject to eligibility,” he said.
He explained that the annual initiative, run since 2012 under the Standing Committee for Poverty Eradication, is designed to ease the financial burden of low-income households in preparing for major festivals.
“The program was established to help low-income families plan and celebrate festivities more comfortably,” he said.
According to Papparaidu, this year’s program saw an increase of RM2 million compared with last year. Under the Selangor 2026 Budget, the total allocation for festival vouchers has risen to RM18.48 million, targeting 94,200 beneficiaries for Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and Deepavali celebrations.
Beyond Chinese New Year, the initiative — part of the Iltizam Selangor Penyayang (ISP) program — also helps underprivileged families celebrate Aidilfitri and Deepavali.
