More than 10 million people have applied for the eMadani program – RM100 free money. The one-off e-wallet credit had attracted so many applicants that when the redemption process began on December 4, the system immediately crashed due to high traffic. For example, Petronas Setel and Maybank MAE, which were chosen for the e-wallet initiative for the first time, hit technical issues.

 

Unlike financial aid scheme BSH (“Bantuan Sara Hidup” or Cost of Living Aid), where the cash aid was directly deposited into bank accounts, the RM100 eMadani eWallet was credited into one of four  electronic wallet apps – Setel, MAE, Shopee or Touch ‘n Go. Hence, there was a slight learning curve for “technological illiterate” applicants, especially senior citizens.

 

While the government would lose control over the spending pattern of the recipients in the BSH scheme, the RM100 eMadani eWallet would record every single transaction. This allows the government to analyse and see how the money is being used. Already, it clearly stated that the money can only be used for “in-store retail payments”, meaning physical shops that accept your e-wallet.

Not only you must use the RM100 by 29 February 2024, otherwise any unused amount will be forfeited, you also can’t use it to pay bills, prepaid or post-paid, let alone transfer it out of your e-wallet accounts or converted into cash. It is aimed at promoting cashless e-wallet spending at 1.8 million physical merchants, boosting local small and medium businesses (SMEs) and helping Malaysians under the B40 and M40 group.

 

The fact that about 4 million people have already had their applications approved in less than 48 hours shows that the approval process was done automatically by the system, which means a set of computer programs have been written to do verifications. That explains why some people found their applications successful, while others were rejected despite meeting the conditions.

 

According to  the Ministry of Finance (MOF), there are criteria Malaysians must meet to be eligible for the RM100 hand-outs:

1)         Malaysian citizens

2)         Aged 21 years and above as of 2023

3)         Recipients of Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (as of November 7, 2023)

4)         Earning RM100,000 or less per year based on LHDN’s records (as of July 15, 2023)

5)         Have not received RM200 eWallet credit under eBeliaRahmah

6)         Have completed verification process of respective e-wallet

So, based on the criteria alone, there were many eligible applicants who got rejected. Realizing this, the finance ministry has advised those who had failed to redeem the RM100 eMadani credit to make an appeal. Here’re some silly reasons why your application has been rejected, when it should not have happened in the first place.

 

{ Reason 1 } Incorrect Details Such As Full Name Or MyKad Number

Your full name and MyKad (Identification Card) number in your e-wallet app must be the same as your actual MyKad. Yes, the money is not immediately credited upon registration. Upon application, you will receive a message that says it is being processed and you will be notified if successful (which takes less than 24 hours even though the apps say could take up to 5 days).

 

During this processing period, the system will check, validate and verify the information you submitted against databases. For obvious reason, if your full name and IC number does not match your actual MyKad, the system will automatically reject your application. It could be a typo error or a special character (such as @, &, *) that cannot be processed. It doesn’t matter. The system will reject it.

As far as the system is concerned, you could be a scammer or an alien if your identity is not verifiable. There are people who tried to trick the system, hoping there are loopholes due to poor programming logic or lack of testing or verification. The good news is, after you resubmit the correct information, your appeal will most likely be approved.

 

{ Reason 2 } Did Not Declare 2022 Income Tax

Do not underestimate the importance of filing your income tax, even though you earned too little to be taxed that you thought it wouldn’t matter whether you declare or not. As far as the LHDN (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri or Inland Revenue Board) is concerned, it doesn’t know whether you are taxable or otherwise till you do e-filing of your annual income.

 

In other words, even though the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) says individuals who earn a minimum of RM34,000 a year net after deducting the EPF must pay tax, those who earn less than the figure must also open a tax file. Without your “income tax file” to prove that you are not taxable, the LHDN / IRB assumes you didn’t pay income tax – or even try to evade taxes.

However, there are valid arguments why some had not declared their 2022 income taxes. How could they declare their 2022 income taxes when they only started their first job in 2023, right? Unfortunately, according to the eligibility criteria, you’re not qualified even if you have just registered as a taxpayer this year (2023) with annual income below RM100,000.

 

{ Reason 3 } Redeem Multiple Times Using Different E-Wallets

Malaysian government agencies are known for its incompetency and inefficiency. That was how corruptions and leakages happened in the first place. Every government servant appeared to be sleeping on the job. The RM100 eMadani eWallet programme provides a golden opportunity to game the system, with some hoping to get RM400 instead of RM100.

 

If you claim RM100 each on all four different platforms – Setel, MAE, Shopee and Touch ‘n Go – there could be a chance that all the applications will be approved and voila, you’re RM400 richer. Even if three of them fail, at least you will get the minimum RM100. Besides, there’s no restriction that says you can’t apply to all the four e-wallet providers, so there’s no harm trying.

Wrong strategy!! Those geniuses who tried to claim more than once saw their applications rejected. Because all the four platforms were not integrated with each other, it creates a perception that you can apply repetitively. However, some might have genuinely applied more than once to increase the chance of success, not try to cheat. Regardless, the system will reject – automatically – any attempts to claim additional eMadani credits from other e-wallets.

 

{ Reason 4 } Had Previously Received RM200 Thru “eBeliaRahmah”

Back in June this year, the government announced the allocation of RM400 million for the “eBeliaRahmah” programme. Malaysian youths and full-time students at institutes of higher learning can apply for their RM200 eWallet to help reduce their financial burden. It was the same programme like the eMadani programme, but only for youths 18 to 20 years of age.

 

The only difference is the “eBeliaRahmah” financial aid could be redeemed from three e-wallets namely Boost, Setel and Touch ‘n Go. Even though the recipients of “eBeliaRahmah” do not qualify for this round, it did not stop them from trying their luck for the RM100 eMadani programme. Some who had previously received eBeliaRahmah might argue that they have graduated and started working.

Some who are 20 years old but turning 21 years old in 2023 might also think they are qualified. However, as long as you have received eBeliaRahmah credit, you are not eligible for this program. Your personal details will be verified through the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) and Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (LHDNM) database provided by the relevant ministries.

 

{ Reason 5 } Never Applied For Govt Aid Or Update Latest Income

While applicants who do not file income tax would be rejected, Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim said those who have never applied for government aid or update their latest income with the IRB will also be rejected. This means housewives, retirees and those without income may be rejected for the RM100 eMadani credit simply because the government is unable to verify their eligibility.

 

Again, LHDN / IRB are particularly sensitive over your outdated tax record, which may not accurately reflect your current income level. However, you should appeal if you have strong justifications or reasons that the rejection should be reversed. Of course, it’s not worth the trouble for the sake of RM100 if you have intentionally evaded paying income tax.

{ Reason 6 } You Are Not Malaysian Citizenship

You must be a Malaysian citizen in order to enjoy the RM100 eMadani credit. Your personal details will be verified through the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN). Therefore, if your residential status is not stated as a Malaysian citizen or you are not a MyKad holder, your application will be rejected automatically. Likewise, if your IC number does not exist or is no longer valid in JPN records, you’re rejected.

 

In order to close loopholes, such as when Rosmah Mansor – the despicable wife of billionaire former Prime Minister Najib Razak, also known as the Imelda Marcos of Malaysia – was hilariously approved to receive RM800 under the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) cash aid in 2020, the eMadani programme has put in place more stringent checking to stop ridiculous leakages.

 

The priority of appeals will be given to those who are recipients of the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) or “Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah”, which has benefited a whopping 8.7 million people. If you’re one of the STR recipients, chances are good that your appeal would be successful. But if you’ve already successfully redeemed the RM100 eWallet credit, make sure you use up all the money before the end of Feb 2024.

 

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December 10th, 2023 by financetwitter

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