KUCHING, Jan 22: The recently announced Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) 5.0 has failed to meet the needs of the ordinary people in Sarawak especially the lower-income B40 group.
Highlighting this, Sim Kiat Leng, special assistant to Chong Chieng Jen, said that if the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government had put in the effort to understand the hardship faced by the people, they could have come up with better ideas and measures to cushion the impact and uncertainties brought by Covid-19.
“While discounts on rent, utility bills and assessment rates, the exemption for permit and licence fees are welcomed, BKSS 5.0 has largely failed to address the plight of the B40 group during this pandemic time.
“It is the B40 who are most affected by this pandemic and have difficulty even putting food on their tables,” he criticised in a statement today.
The GPS government which prides itself to have RM26 billion in reserves, Sim then questioned as to why the fund was not used to help the people.
“What is the point of having such a large reserve if it is not used during such challenging times?” he further asked.
To help the B40 group, Sim emphasised that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg should introduce another round of financial assistance such as that rolled in BKSS 1.0.
He thus urged the Sarawak government to extend RM250 per month as income replacement for the B40 group for at least three months and frontliners for a period of six months.
“Also provide financial assistance of RM2,000 each for micro-business owners,” he added. – DayakDaily
