THE government will increase total assistance for persons with disabilities (OKU) to RM1.5bil under Budget 2027, benefiting more than 300,000 recipients.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said monthly aid for persons with disabilities who are bedridden or suffer from chronic illnesses will be raised to RM600.
“The income threshold to qualify for the Disabled Workers’ Allowance would also be raised from RM1,700 to RM2,000,” he said when tabling Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Meanwhile, the monthly allowance for students with special educational needs will rise from RM150 to RM200, benefiting 150,000 students, including children with autism.
The Special Education Needs Teaching Incentive will also be increased from RM250 to RM300 a month, providing additional support to 20,000 special education teachers.
Two Permata Kurnia centres will be established in Melaka and Pahang to offer specialised education, support and training for autistic children.
“More than 130 new Tunas Istimewa kindergarten classes would also be opened in rural areas nationwide to provide early intervention for autistic children from low-income families,” he said.
In addition, 15 Community-Based Rehabilitation premises will be upgraded into specialised therapy centres, benefiting 20,000 registered persons with Down syndrome.
“Specialised training will also be provided to 3,000 new caregivers for persons with disabilities to meet the demand for disability care services nationwide,” Anwar added.
Separately, the government will introduce MyKomuter50 to help 40,000 KTM Komuter passengers save an average of up to RM160 monthly.
Free travel passes will also be extended to 360,000 school students, persons with disabilities and children below six years old.
The transport measures come as commuters continue to face train breakdowns and service disruptions that affect their daily journeys to work.
Anwar said Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd had been instructed to take immediate action to improve the reliability and smooth operation of train services.
For a longer-term fix, Prasarana will invest more than RM3.4bil to undertake a comprehensive restoration of its rail services.—Oct 9, 2026
