PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 — About 53,000 taxi, rental car and school bus drivers are expected to receive a one-off financial aid payment of RM1,000 each before Deepavali, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
The disbursement of the RM53 million in aid is expected to be completed within two to three weeks, with payments made in stages through direct handovers and online transfers.
“However, we will verify the data (on eligible drivers) with the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD)...we aim for all drivers to receive this aid before Deepavali,” he told the media after the inaugural aid presentation ceremony today, involving 500 drivers from the Central Zone as symbolic recipients.
Loke added that the drivers are not required to apply for the assistance, as eligibility will be determined based on databases maintained by APAD, the Road Transport Department (JPJ), and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Boards of Sabah and Sarawak.
The sole eligibility requirement is a valid Public Service Vehicle (PSV) vocational licence. Drivers who did not receive the aid may contact their respective associations to update their details.
On the source of funding, he said the assistance was financed from part of the RM91 million in revenue generated through the bidding for the special ‘H’ vehicle registration number series, rather than from future budget allocations.
The revenue was collected in September, and the Finance Ministry subsequently disbursed part of it to fund the initiative, although the aid was announced as part of Budget 2027.
"I wish to correct the perception, or address the questions regarding why payments are being made when the 2027 Budget has not yet been passed.
“All this revenue [intended for the aid] was already in the Consolidated Revenue Account. The Ministry of Finance disbursed a portion of it for this initiative, which was announced during the Budget presentation last Friday, and it does not require parliamentary approval,” Loke said.
During the Budget 2027 presentation in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday (October 9), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the assistance as one of the government’s initiatives to return revenue to the people.
