Direct SKAS application route proposed

SARAWAKIANS excluded from Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS) because they are no longer listed as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients should be given a direct application and appeal route to seek assistance.

Pujut assemblyman Adam Yii Siew Sang proposed that applications be assessed based on actual household income and financial circumstances, instead of relying solely on the federal aid database.

“Someone disappearing from a database does not necessarily mean that his or her financial difficulties have disappeared,” he said when debating the Supply (2027) Bill, 2026 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting on Wednesday (Oct 14).

Yii said feedback from his constituents showed that some previous SKAS beneficiaries had subsequently been excluded after they were no longer listed as STR recipients.

While acknowledging the practical advantages of using STR data, he said changes in household circumstances, outdated information or other factors could leave deserving applicants outside the database.

He therefore urged the Sarawak government to establish a direct application and appeal mechanism for those whose financial needs were not captured through STR records.

“This does not mean lowering our eligibility requirements,” he said.

Under Budget 2027, eligible households will receive RM1,100 through SKAS, while senior citizens will receive RM600 and eligible singles RM375.

Yii welcomed the continuation of the assistance, saying it provided meaningful support to Sarawakians affected by rising living costs.

He stressed that the proposed alternative route would allow deserving applicants to be considered while maintaining the scheme’s eligibility requirements.

“If SKAS is intended to protect Sarawakians facing cost-of-living pressures, then our system should be sufficiently flexible to identify genuine needs rather than relying entirely on one Federal database,” he said.