KUCHING, Sept 3: Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong Wui Wui has urged Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian to look into the undue delay in payment of the Sarawakku Sayang Special Aid (BKSS 6.0) to eligible hawkers and petty traders.
She said Dr Sim, as the Sarawak Minister for Local Government and Housing, is duty-bound to ensure the deserved rights and welfare of all licensed hawkers who seek livelihood at local councils’ markets are duly taken care of.
She further said two markets under the jurisdiction of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and five markets under Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) have recently been directed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to close immediately due to detection of Covid-19 positive cases.
Those markets affected included Padungan Central Market, Kenyalang Community Market, 10th Mile Kota Padawan Market, 7th Mile Kota Sentosa Market, 3rd Mile Sungai Maong Market, Cat’s Walk Street Market and Taman Desa Wira Temporary Hawker Centre.
“Due to the sudden closure of these markets, many hawkers have lost income and therefore, they require the BKSS 6.0 welfare aid urgently from the State government to help them tide over their difficulties.
“However, I received many feedbacks from the hawkers that the first batch of RM750 BKSS 6.0 money as promised by the Sarawak government is still not paid to them via their SarawakPay accounts,” she said in a statement today.
Earlier in May, the Sarawak government announced that the RM1,500 BKSS 6.0 aid for eligible hawkers and petty traders will be paid out over two batches whereby the first payment of RM750 shall be made in July and the balance of RM750 in December.
Yong, who is also Democratic Action Party (DAP) member, said many are left helpless as there is no proper channel or avenue for general public to make inquiries about the status of the BKSS money.
“The whole implementation process is just very messy as the public are not properly informed and kept fully updated from time to time over the matter.
“In my view, the Sarawak government is not caring enough towards the plights of the people when we see, time after time, the promised aids have not been paid out on time and reasons for the delay were also never been made known to respective applicants,” she added.
She also called on MBKS and MPP to stop collecting license fees from hawkers for the period when markets were ordered to close down.
“During the closure, affected hawkers are unable to trade and have no income at all and it is unfair and unjustifiable to make these hawkers pay for license fees,” she emphasised. — DayakDaily
