COMPANIES and firms have handed over RM17 bil in unclaimed money to the Accountant- General’s Department with RM4.2 bil successfully claimed by rightful owners as of Oct 31.
This leaves a somehow staggering RM12.8 bil that has yet to be claimed, according to Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2025 at the committee level for the Finance Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat recently.
WANG TIDAK DITUNTUT | Sebanyak RM12.8 bilion Wang Tidak Dituntut (WTD) milik awam masih belum dituntut, setakat Oktober lalu.#BuletinTV3 #WangTidakDituntut #MilikAwam #MenteriKewangan pic.twitter.com/muCyxRXOXk
— Buletin TV3 (@BuletinTV3) November 14, 2024
Since 2022, the Accountant-General’s Department has set up 184 booths nationwide to increase public awareness and encourage more claims for unclaimed money.
Amir Hamzah further revealed that the government is exploring a proposal to use updated data from the National Registration Department (JPN) to locate rightful owners or heirs and directly credit the funds into their accounts.
This news was also reported on X by Buletin TV3 (@BuketinTV3) which led to numerous comments. Many were distinctly unimpressed by the levels of bureaucracy that rightful owners have to go through to claim their dues.
With one going as far as likening the complicated process to “feeling as if committing suicide”.
One commenter insinuated that the process was made difficult on purpose to put citizens off from claiming what supposedly belongs to them.
Another concurred by wondering why the next of kin cannot be contacted when the relevant authorities should be able to access their contact details from centralised database lest they intend to pocket the money?
This cynical view was echoed by a couple of others who questioned the motives of bringing this into public attention.
All said and done, given the number of comments regarding the sheer weight of bureaucracy involved in claiming these funds, clear and simple instructions must be made available on how.
The process must also be simplified and not be repeated ad nauseam when all relevant documents have been presented.
Alas, most folk know that this is just wishful thinking. – Nov 20, 2024
Main image credit: The Financial Fitness/YouTube
