Free Tablets and e-Credits? 3 benefits M’sian youths can apply for with Budget 2022!

School leavers and those who entered college within the past few years have had a strange ride. You guys probably had to “celebrate” your transition to adulthood by social distancing and being cooped up at home 🙁

But fret not! With the world reopening, you’ll soon be immersed in the great joys of adulting, like hanging out with friends, buying your own things, paying your own bills, and figuring out how e-wallets work to umm, pay other bills…

BUT! We have some good news for you guys. The Ministry of Finance recently announced Budget 2022, and there are a slew of benefits set aside for the youngsters! We’ve compiled a few that you guys will have to keep an eye out and apply for. Jom tengok!

1. ‘PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia’: Get a free tablet!

One of the many things announced in Budget 2022 is the ‘Pakej PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia‘; a new initiative made in partnership with selected Telco operators to supply tablets to B40 youths in higher learning institutions across Malaysia!

Full-time students in higher learning institutions who come from B40 families can apply for this. Applications are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022 (April – Jun 2022). They’ll be announcing more details in due time, so do keep your eyes peeled and click here for more information!

But even if you’re not a student despite being in the B40 category, not to worry! Because the government also amped up…

2. The ‘Perlindungan Tenang Voucher’ program: Now covers motorcycle insurance!

If you’ve never heard of the Program Baucar Perlindungan Tenang (PTV), it was introduced just this year to ensure that people in the lower income category would be able to keep themselves protected, by providing them with a voucher which can be used to buy or register for ‘Perlindungan Tenang‘ (a.k.a. a more affordable and comprehensible insurance plan).

In Budget 2022, the amount given per person has been increased from RM50 to RM75, which will be given to all of those who received the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) 2021. If you’re wondering what kind of insurance you can buy with RM75, the answer is: a full year worth of coverage, like the ones offered by AIA or Allianz.

And that’s not all. Effective 1st January 2022, it can also be used to buy comprehensive insurance for 150cc motorcycles and below, which can be very beneficial for those of you who ride your motorcycles to work or to school.

For now, the program is being offered first to the BPR-receivers in the household category from the 30th of September 2021. But, the program is open to all of those who are eligible to receive the BPR, and will be opened to BPR-receivers in the other categories in due time.

So, if you’re wondering whether you or your family members are eligible to get this voucher, you can head to the MyPTV website to key in your IC number, and receive your voucher number in the next message (if you’re eligible, that is). But if keying in numbers on websites isn’t your thing, you can also check your eligibility by heading to any insurance/takaful operating branches or through contacting a (legit!) agent from a company that offers the ‘Perlindungan Tenang’ plan.

Once you’ve gotten the ‘Perlindungan Tenang’ voucher, there’s two ways you can redeem it:

1. Online: Head to the MyCoverage website and check out the section that says “Produk Perlindungan Tenang”. There, you will see a variety of plan-providers with different terms at different rates.
2. At the counter: For this, all you’ll need to do is to head to the counter of any insurance/takaful company branch office that offers the ‘Perlindungan Tenang’ plan to redeem.

Both methods work just as well, so just pick the option that’s most convenient for you. Speaking of convenience…

3. The ‘e-Start’ program: Get RM150 e-wallet credit!

E-wallets are super convenient. Even if you haven’t tried it, you’ll want to soon because the government has introduced the e-Start Program; where RM150 will be credited to the e-wallet accounts of those aged between 18 to 20 years, as well as full-time higher-education students.

So, if you’re within the eligible age range or are a full-time student in a higher learning institution, you can apply for this program through the participating e-wallet applications which will be announced by the government in due time.

…And there’s still more financial assistance to be given!

We only covered the tip of the iceberg in this article. With Budget 2022 allocation being the highest it’s ever been, there’s something for everyone:

• Unemployed and looking for a temporary job placement? Check out the MySTEP Program
• Can’t get a bank loan to keep your business afloat? SemarakNiaga offers loans with 0% interest, 6 months moratorium, AND super simple eligibility requirements
• Having to stretch your remaining savings while looking for a job? There’s the Job Search Allowance

If you wanna see what other benefits you might be eligible for, head on over to the Manfaat Bajet 2022 website for more info.