THE Finance Ministry has approved back payments to school bus operators serving Orang Asli children in Cameron Highlands, and payments will be made soon, said the Orang Asli Affairs Department (Jakoa).

This comes following an earlier report by The Malaysian Insight that a few bus operators in the Pahang constituency had stopped taking Orang Asli schoolchildren from their villages to schools, and more were planning to do so.

According to Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor, this was because the bus operators had not been paid since March.

When contacted, Jakoa director-general Prof Dr Juli Edo had then said his department requested approval from the Finance Ministry for back payments to school bus operators serving Orang Asli children in Cameron Highlands.

Juli also said the department was committed to resolving the issue highlighted by Ramli.

“Jakoa has taken action by raising requests for payments for April, May and June 2019 to the Finance Ministry for consideration and approval.

“Jakoa has the funds to make the payments, but needs the Finance Ministry’s approval, in line with current regulations, before the payments can be issued,” Juli said in a statement.

Several hours later, the department issued an update to say that the Finance Ministry had approved the payments and the bus operators will be paid their dues soon. – August 28, 2019.