By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 23: Former Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Mary Chang Oi Ling has called on the Sarawak government and Yayasan Sarawak to review the application conditions for the Special Financial Assistance (BKK) scheme to reflect a more inclusive and realistic approach.
In a statement, Chang said while the initiative was commendable, she has received complaints and enquiries about the need for applicants to submit their parents’ pay-slips in their application.
She described the requirement as contrary to the intention of the scheme, which is supposed to assist all students regardless of their economic and social background, while also posing an unnecessary barrier that risks excluding the very students the scheme intends to support.
“The current condition requiring parents’ pay-slips is especially problematic for students from rural areas, those with parents working in the informal sector, and individuals from estranged or single-parent households.
“Many of these families have no formal income documentation, which effectively disqualifies the most vulnerable students who are in urgent need of some financial support,” she said.
Chang added that the only two requirements which should be necessary are proof that the applicant is Sarawakian with the ‘K’ indicator on their MyKad, and proof of enrolment in a recognised tertiary institution, such as a student ID card or official offer letter.
“This application process should therefore be simplified to truly serve its purpose in helping our youth to strive for a better future through education,” she said.
The BKK scheme offers students studying at recognised institutions of higher learning financial aid of RM1,200 per year, paid in two instalments of RM600 each semester via the S Pay Global e-wallet.
The application period is open from May 1 to June 1, 2025, and applications must be submitted online through the Yayasan Sarawak portal with the necessary supporting documents. — DayakDaily
