(Bernama) -- Eligible people who register for the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) 2.0 by Dec 31 can get the payment in the first quarter of 2013, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said today.

"We will make the payment in the first quarter of 2013. Those who have yet to register are advised to do so before Dec 31 so that they can be paid when we make the payments.

"If they register late, they will receive the payment late. They can register online or manually. When we make the payment in the first quarter, all those who registered will be paid," he told reporters after launching an entrepreneurs' carnival of SME Bank, here.

However, Ahmad Husni said, no closing date had been set for the BR1M 2.0 registration which opened on Nov 1.

He also said that more than 2.3 million applications had been received for BR1M 2.0 as at Dec 17, with more than 1.6 million of the applications from single unmarried people and more than 720,000 from households.

Malaysians with a household income of less than RM3,000 a month are eligible or the one-off RM500 cash aid, while single unmarried individuals aged 21 and above and earning not more than RM2,000 a month are eligible for a one-off RM250 aid.

Ahmad Husni said 54 per cent of the applications were made manually and the rest, online.

The application forms can be obtained free from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) service centres and branches, Federal Development Department, Social Welfare Department, Information Department and government agencies or downloaded from or filled online at the LHDN website, www.hasil.gov.my.

He said BR1M 2.0, which involved an allocation of RM3 billion, was expected to benefit 4.3 million households and 2.7 million single unmarried individuals.

Last year, 4.2 million people benefited from the BR1M payment made for the first time, involving an allocation of RM2.1 billion.