The government has agreed to increase the allowance of volunteer community development assistants from RM500 to RM800, which will benefit 9,439 Community Development Department (Kemas) staff, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced today.

Speaking in front of about 7,000 Kemas members at the department’s 60th-anniversary celebration here, the prime minister said the government also agreed to increase the subsistence allowance of Persatuan Bekas Anggota Kemas Malaysia (PBKAM) members from RM300 to RM500.