Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday said BKM’s fourth phase payments would be brought forward from December to assist recipients in facing the monsoon season which is expected to start in mid-November, with each of the 5.2 million recipients expected to receive up to RM900 in cash aid.

In a statement, Bersih said that Ismail’s announcement went against the conventions of caretaker governments and could be deemed as using government resources to campaign.

It said such conventions outline “the separation between political parties and government” and stressed that the government needs to take appropriate steps to ensure a “clean, free, and fair election campaign.”

Bersih pointed out that if there was a need to announce new provisions or accelerate the distribution of existing allocations, Ismail should have discussed the matter with the opposition.

The group also urged the caretaker government at the federal and state levels to not misuse government resources for its own interests.

Based on the BKM website’s FAQ section, the fourth phase’s payout was tentatively set for December.

The third phase of BKM payments was disbursed in September and involved an allocation of RM2.2 billion.