By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 7: A recent case of mistaken identity involving the Senior Citizen Health Benefit (SCHB) scheme should serve as a wake-up call to the Sarawak government to prioritise the confidentiality and security of citizens’ data to prevent misuse and safeguard public interests.
In a press statement today, Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak secretary George Lam said that on December 24 last year, an individual known as ‘Mr Chan’ discovered that the RM500 in his SCHB, which he had never used, had been depleted when he visited a panel clinic for treatment.
Unable to get answers, Chan then sought assistance from DAP to resolve the matter.
“On that same day, I accompanied Mr Chan to lodge a police report, and two days later (Dec 26), I held a press conference to publicise this matter, which encouraged the public to check the balance of their medical benefits,” said Lam.
He then said that welfare department officers and representatives from SAINS, the company managing the Sarawak government’s information system, contacted him that same evening to rectify the situation.
“They confirmed that a mistake occurred when another beneficiary with the same name as Mr Chan had mistakenly been credited with his medical benefits due to an error at the clinic.
“The officers informed me that the system previously relied solely on names to assist beneficiaries without using their IC numbers for verification.
“Following this, the government took the initiative to upgrade the system to ensure that similar cases will not happen again, preventing the misuse of medical benefits due to identical names,” he said.
Within two days, he said, Chan was able to access his medical benefits before the end of 2024, and Lam expressed his gratitude for the officers’ efficiency in handling the matter.
“Regardless, DAP Sarawak will continue to monitor the government’s measures to ensure that the welfare of the people is protected,” he said.
The SCHB is a Sarawak government initiative that provides cashless outpatient treatment at panel clinics with an annual maximum limit of RM500 per person. — DayakDaily
