THE Penang government is reviewing its Pelajar Emas scheme which disburses RM100 to pupils in Standards One and Four and Forms One and Four.

State welfare exco Phee Boon Poh said the welfare programme review committee chaired by Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman is reviewing the scheme to check for overlap with other government programmes.

The scheme is part of the state’s iSejahtera annual welfare programme. Recipients must be Malaysian and attending school in Penang.

Phee said the aid overlaps with aid from the federal government, which gives assistance to primary and secondary schoolchildren through the Education Ministry’s Early School Assistance programme, Poor Students’ Trust Fund and Supplementary Food Programme.

”The state views the ministry’s aid programmes to be more comprehensive and focused on needy groups.

“But a detailed study is needed. We also need to take into account the state Education Department’s data analysis of the students,” he said in his winding up speech at the state legislative assembly this evening.

Meanwhile, Phee who is also the exco for environment, said all restaurants and business premises serving food and drinks, including food trucks, convenience stores and markets, must comply with the state’s “No To Plastic Straw” policy.

He said the state will focus on education and growing awareness of the policy until March, after the the policy will be fully enforced. – May 2, 2019.