State Welfare Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh claimed Putrajaya’s explanation that the delay was due to migration to a new accounting system does not make sense.

“How could the migration be the cause when the same new system was used to pay 75% of aid recipients in the state?

“If most of the recipients had already been paid under the 1Government Financial Management Accounting System / Accrued Accounting or 1GFMAS, then it is wrong to say there was a problem,” he said.

He added that in Penang, the federal welfare aid is given to children, senior citizens, the disabled and caretakers of those who are totally disabled/bedridden.

“The aid, for which 15,636 people are eligible in Penang, varies from person to person, with a minimum payment of RM250,” he said.

According to Phee, the 1GFMAS “glitch” had even affected some civil servants, who did not receive their salaries, allowances and claims this month.

“We were told there were issues with the 1GFMAS and that it did not affect just Penang, but the entire country.

“Many people were expecting the money, especially with the Chinese New Year celebrations this month,” he told reporters in Komtar today.

Phee said it was “unfortunate” to hear how some civil servants had not received their salaries and their allowances for overtime claims.

“It is already Feb 23, how can this be going on? What is wrong with the system?

“If the system was not perfect, you should not have introduced it,” he said.

The federal government launched a new acquisition system on Jan 1, which is integrated with the new 1GFMAS, an accrued accounting system developed by the Accountant-General’s Department.

Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani has been contacted for comment.