By Doreen Ling
KUCHING, Nov 24: RM640 million has been allocated under the Sarawak Budget 2026 to support the increase of the Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance Contribution or SKAS) initiative, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
During the tabling of the Sarawak Budget 2026 at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting today, he said that the revised assistance, which will be disbursed once every four months, will see the following:
- Households with an income of RM5,000 and below will see their annual support increased by RM150, from RM800 to RM950. For each disbursement, recipients will receive RM316.
- Senior citizens without partners or children, earning RM5,000 and below, will receive an increase of RM100, from RM400 to RM500. For each disbursement, recipients will receive RM166.
- Single individuals with an income of RM2,500 and below will benefit from an increase of RM50, raising their assistance from RM250 to RM300. For each disbursement, recipients will receive RM100.
The allocation is expected to benefit more than one million recipients.
“This year, SKAS was successfully implemented, providing annual support ranging from RM250 to RM800 to eligible Sarawakians, with an allocation of RM557 million, benefiting over 1.03 million eligible Sarawakians.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that we, the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government, will be increasing the amount of this assistance to better reflect the needs of our rakyat and help them to mitigate the cost of living. This is to ensure that they will always have food on the table.
“This is the GPS government in action—listening, responding, and delivering. We are not just managing budgets; we are improving lives. Let us continue to build a Sarawak where no one is left behind, and every citizen feels the care of a government that truly serves,” he said. — DayakDaily
