Improve SKAS system for transparency, inclusivity, DAP woman tells S’wak govt

SIBU (March 13): The state government has been called to establish a more comprehensive review mechanism for the Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance (SKAS) system.

Sibu MP Oscar Ling’s special assistant, Irene Wong, said the current system still has room for improvement, noting that it would enable Sarawakians who were not approved for SKAS but received the federal government’s Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) 2026 to check the reasons for their rejection.

“During the SKAS distribution period, many members of the public have come to the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Service Centre at Rejang Park to seek assistance, including activating their S Pay Global accounts and registering for the service,” Wong said in a statement.

She explained that based on information on the official SKAS website, the assistance is distributed according to the list of recipients from Phase 1 of STR 2026 who hold identity cards bearing the letter ‘K’ and reside in Sarawak.

However, Wong noted that in practice there are still some Sarawakians who successfully received the first phase of STR but were not approved for SKAS.

“When staff from the DAP Service Centre made inquiries through the Service Sarawak helpline, the possible reasons given included identity cards not bearing the letter ‘K’, STR recipients not being Sarawak residents, or income exceeding the specified threshold.

“Nevertheless, some individuals who do not fall under any of these categories are still not listed as SKAS recipients, which has caused confusion,” she stressed.

In this regard, Wong suggested that the Sarawak government emulate the system used on the STR website by improving the official SKAS portal.

“I propose adding a verification option that would allow the public to log in using Sarawak ID or Sarawak Pass to check the specific reason why their application was not approved, so that applicants can at least understand the outcome,” she said.

Wong also suggested that the state government update the list of SKAS recipients who may have been left out in the first batch during the distribution period.

“With the federal government now distributing the second phase of STR 2026, new eligible recipients have emerged.

“The government should therefore continuously update the beneficiary list to ensure all eligible individuals receive the assistance,” she said.

Wong also highlighted that some elderly individuals are unable to complete the registration process because they do not own smartphones.

“Many of them do not live with their children and therefore cannot borrow a smartphone for registration purposes.

“Some elderly individuals are bedridden or face mobility difficulties, making it impossible for them to complete facial recognition verification or travel outside to replace their identity cards, causing them to miss the opportunity to receive the aid,” she said.

Wong suggested that the Sarawak government consider alternative methods to help elderly individuals who are unable to use smartphones, such as directly crediting the assistance into the bank accounts of eligible recipients.

“At the same time, a more inclusive approach should be introduced for elderly individuals who face difficulties using smart devices so that the aid can truly reach those who are in need,” added Wong.