Fatimah: RM1,200 Death Compassionate Assistance reduction to go towards new SCHB scheme

KUCHING (July 18): The Death Compassionate Assistance (BIK) benefit for Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) holders will be reduced to RM1,800 from RM3,000 starting July 22, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah announced today.

The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister said the reduction is to allow the state government to provide senior citizens with more benefits, particularly in terms of health services.

“The extra funds from the reduced BIK will be used for the implementation of the new Senior Citizen Health Benefit (SCHB) initiative, which the state government is allocating around RM50 million per year for,” she told a press conference.

Fatimah had earlier chaired a meeting on the SCHB initiative at her office here.

The BIK is disbursed to beneficiaries when eligible KGC holders pass away.

“These funds will still be used to help our seniors, many of whom are KGC recipients, and they have requested that we continue to provide health assistance for them.

“This is the direction we are taking to help the elderly who need to take care of their health and often have to see doctors for health checkups,” she added.

In February this year during the ‘Sejambak Kasih’ Chinese New Year programme in Sibu, Fatimah told reporters that feedback from KGC holders found that they preferred the BIK to benefit them during their lifetime.

Under the SCHB initiative, some 100,000 senior citizens in Sarawak will benefit from free medical outpatient services of up to RM500 each.

Eligible recipients can seek treatment on a cashless basis at panel clinics in the state for health problems such as fever and cold, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting, sprain, mild skin irritation (allergy or itch), gout, and mild trauma such as minor injuries.

It also applies to dental care including extractions, fillings, and dentures (minimum charge for dentures is RM250).

The SCHB will be launched in Sibu on Aug 10 by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg during the state-level Women’s Day celebration.