JOHOR BARU: An e-hailing service driver claimed that he has missed out in receiving government aid due to a telecommunications company’s negligence.

       Loo Hong Hock, 40, said he applied for the Jaringan Prihatin Programme, a government aid programme for the B40 group to get RM180 telecommunication credit for Internet subscription or discount for mobile devices, in June but failed.

       He appealed against the decision and his application was later approved by the government on Sept 18.

       "Excited, I went to my telecommunications company office outlet to claim the assistance but the staff informed me that the aid, registered under my MyKad number, had been redeemed at a different telecommunications company.

       "So I went to the other company to check on the matter and the staff confirmed their record showed that the aid had been redeemed by someone at one of its authorised agents’ outlets in Ulu Tiram.

       "The staff showed me the account number and telephone number, which was not mine, and the staff later said the telephone number had already been terminated.

       "I was confused and upset over the telecommunications company’s negligence that allowed someone else to redeem the aid under my name without any MyKad or thumbprint verification," he told a press conference held by the Pasir Gudang MCA public complaints and services bureau here on Tuesday (Dec 28).

       Loo said he was looking forward to the aid to purchase a new mobile device to help with his e-hailing services to earn an income.

       "It is disappointing that I missed out on the assistance that the government has provided to help those in the B40 group like me," he added.

       Meanwhile, Pasir Gudang MCA public complaints and services deputy bureau chief Ang Tun Chek, who organised the press conference, called the telecommunications company representative for an explanation during the session.

       The representative said the company’s headquarters was informed about the matter and has agreed to compensate Loo the same amount as stipulated in the government aid.

       He added that a customer service staff would get in touch with Loo as soon as possible about the compensation.

       On May 5, the government, under then Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, announced the RM3.5bil Jaringan Prihatin Programme to benefit 8.4 million recipients of Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat, with financial assistance for Internet data or the purchase of mobile devices.