KUCHING, May 29: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chairman Dato Sim Kiang Chiok hopes the Sarawak government can further extend the Bantuan Khas Sarawaku Sayang (BKSS) 6.0 for the Medium 40 (M40) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector.
Sim in a press statement today said with the BKSS 6.0, the Sarawak government shows that it is very concerned with Covid-19 infection, especially with the mutated variants that are very infectious, and the best containment is to enforce a lockdown while the vaccination process is being carried out.
“The balance of life and livelihood is very much affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) implementation where our economic sector is reduced, thus, our State government has taken the initiative to assist us through the BKSS 6.0.
“However, for the M40 and the SMEs, it is hoped that the Federal Government will extend the wage subsidies, automatic bank loan moratorium, and further,” he said.
On the same note, Sim said it is heartening to know that the scheduled vaccines are arriving in large quantity in the next three months, which will be sufficient for vaccination for being the first State to achieve up to 70 per cent or the herd immunity, as announced by Federal Minister of Science and Technology Khairy Jamaluddin.
“The best way out of this pandemic is through vaccination and we must get ourselves registered for the inoculation.
“Until we are vaccinated, and until we have the herd immunity, we have to continue practicing the standard operating procedures (SOP) set in order to keep ourselves safe from the Covid-19 infection. Keep washing our hands, wear our masks, and keep our social distance,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government spent a total of RM4.5 million to date in extending six special aid packages under the BKSS since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, followed by various stages of MCO implemented in efforts to ease the burden on the people. — DayakDaily
