Include pharmacies in MyKasih scheme rollout, says Dapsy leader

MIRI (Feb 10): Sarawak DAP Youth (Dapsy) chief Peter Hee has proposed the gradual expansion of the MyKasih assistance programme to include pharmacies, arguing that access to basic medicines and healthcare items should be recognised as essential social protection for low-income families.

Welcoming the government’s recent decision to allow MyKasih beneficiaries to purchase frozen food items, Hee said the move demonstrated a willingness to adapt policies to meet real-life needs.

“The next logical step would be to study the inclusion of pharmacies under the programme,” he said in a statement on Monday.

As of Feb 9, 2026, the Malaysian government has officially expanded the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) iniatiative to include frozen food items as part of the eligible goods for beneficiaries.

Eligible recipients can use their MyKad to purchase these items at participating stores by looking for the MyKasih label on products or scanning the barcode at approved outlets.

Hee said Dapsy Sarawak believes the programme should also be extended to pharmacies in the next phase of the Sara imitative.

He noted that medication is not a discretionary expense for many households, particularly those with senior citizens, patients with chronic illness or families with young children, where medical costs often form a long-term financial burden.

“Extending MyKasih to pharmacies would help strengthen the overall social protection framework for the people, provided it is supported by proper safeguards and regulatory mechanisms,” he said.

Hee stressed that such an initiative need not be implemented immediately or across the board, but could be introduced progressively through pilot programmes, assessments and refinements to ensure effectiveness and accountability.

He is optimistic that with continued engagement between the government, relevant agencies and industry players, the MyKasih programme could be further improved to address the practical needs of different segments of society.

He also hoped ongoing enhancements would ensure assistance remains targeted, effective and delivered with compassion, in line with the original intent of helping those most in need.

The second round of Sara aid, involving a RM100 one-off for all Malaysians aged 18 and older, runs from Feb 9 to Dec 31 this year.

Participating retail outlets and supermarkets have increased to over 10,000, including small grocery shops.

“This improvement shows that the government is listening and is willing to make adjustments to ensure assistance schemes remain relevant to real-life needs,” Hee added.