SHAH ALAM, Oct 27 – The Selangor government launched the MamaKerja Incentive yesterday as part of the implementation of the fifth item of its 5 Tekad 5 Tahun (5 Goals 5 Years) manifesto for the state, as announced by Chief Minister Amirudin Shari.
Item five of the manifesto addresses the state government’s goal to “defend the interests of the people”.
The MamaKerja Incentive, which is aimed at raising the dignity of working women with children, will be implemented by the state’s Women’s Development and Social Welfare exco.
Through the programme, RM1,000 will be disbursed to 5,000 working mothers to reduce the costly burden of child care.
This programme will also serve as the impetus for the establishment of a care economy framework, through which the committee plans to come up with long-term sustainable solutions to address the issue of child and elderly care, according to Women’s Development and Social Welfare exco Anfaal Saari.
In her speech during the launch of the programme, Anfaal said: “The latest statistics from the Department of Statistics reveal that the labour force participation rate among women in Selangor is low at 69.9 per cent, compared to men at 83.5 per cent.
“Aside from that, a study by the Merdeka Centre and The Asia Foundation in Selangor found that from 2020 to 2022, working women struggled with the challenges of the high cost of child care.”
As a result, many mothers are forced to choose between work and staying at home to take care of their children.
“The MamaKerja Incentive is a strategy we are implementing to increase the labour force participation of women in Selangor, while recognising the role of women in contributing to the economic progress of the state.
“This incentive will also indirectly stimulate the care sector which include kindergartens, nurseries and other transitional centres that function as main support systems for working women,” Anfaal added.
Applications for the MamaKerja Incentive will open on November 1, 2023 at 10am through the Selangkah app.
Eligibility requirements for the MamaKerja Incentive are as follows:
- Working and employed women.
- Citizen of Selangor (born or has resided in the state for over 10 years).
- Votes in Selangor.
- Household income of RM8,000 and below.
- Must have an account with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) or Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
- Has at least three children aged 12 and below.
- Not a recipient of aid from ASUH PINTAR, TUNAS, or BINGKAS.
Further details about the MamaKerja Incentive can be found here.
