KUALA LUMPUR: A total 65,189 applications for the COVID-19 Special Assistance were received as of Dec 6, with 22,336 of them having been approved involving an allocation of RM28.6 million, while the remaining 55,184 are still being processed.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Datuk Mastura Mohd Yazid said 11,816 applications under the special assistance of COVID-19 Death Management were approved, with an allocation of RM56.8 million.

"There is no special allocation in 2022 from the government for this assistance as it uses the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) COVID-19 Fund, which receives contributions from the public, corporate bodies, government agencies and ministries," she said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

She was replying to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) who wanted to know the latest statistics on the application and approval of COVID19 Special Assistance and COVID-19 Management Assistance under NADMA.

In the event of a new wave of COVID-19 infections, Mastura said the government would increase the allocation if the NADMA COVID-19 fund was not enough to provide the special assistance.

She added that as of today, the government had channelled COVID-19 initial financial assistance amounting to RM61 million.

-- BERNAMA