KUCHING, Nov 24: The Sarawak government should give cash relief of at least RM250 per month for elderly people above the age of 60-years-old instead of the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak Women’s Wing secretary Cherishe Ng opines.
Labeling the KGC as impractical, Ng said the card and its system is a disappointment because it causes more hardship instead of helping the elderly.
“I received many complaints about the scheme from disgruntled public. In real life, KGC is formatted with many red-tape, very user-unfriendly in both the processes of application and approval, and most elderly simply do not understand how to complete an application.
“Holders of KGC also face problems with using the card because of limited outlets that accept it. Even if such shops are available, it could be quite a distance away from their homes.
“On top of that, KGC can only be used as a discount card, on limited items and does not include those already discounted. Several elderly have expressed that they do not have a single chance to use the card even after having it for a couple of months. It shows how impractical and limited the card is,” Ng disclosed in a statement.
She, therefore, suggests giving cash relief of at least RM250 per month for those above the age of 60 years old who requires it so that they will be able to make use of the money to acquire daily essentials.
As for the RM3,000 set aside for KGC holders which will only be paid out upon death as funeral expenses, Ng pointed out that the government could make things much easier by giving out condolences money through producing relevant documentation such as death certificates and identity cards of the deceased.
“Either that or the RM3,000 could be channeled to the respective members’ EPF account or held in custody of the Social Welfare Ministry on behalf of individual members.
“The government should prioritize caring for the elderly at this critical time of pandemic as most of the elderly are retirees with little or zero incomes. If they are committed to helping the elderly, it is more efficient and practical to give direct cash distributions rather than wasting the time, money and effort to create cards and later distributing them. Until today, there are still many who have not gotten their cards despite sending in applications months ago,” she lamented. — DayakDaily
