Press Statement By David Wong:
Sarawak GPS state government must come clean on the programme of Kenyalang Gold card which was meant to give benefits to our senior over the age of 60.
it has been reported by our state minister for Welfare, community wellbeing, family Women, family and childhood development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, that the state government has allocated RM 24.4 million for this program.
However, there is so much uncertainty about this programme which left many senior citizens and their family members disappointed.
First and foremost is the RM 3000 one-off Death Compassionate Assistance for the family of deceased Gold Card holders, what are the requirements for them to be eligible and when would the money be released to those successful applicants?
Secondly, how many vendors have signed up as the Kenyalang Gold Card partners to give discounts and rebates to the card holders?
According to the minister in charge of this programme, Datuk Seri Fatimah, in Miri only 13 vendors have signed up and their identities are unknown to the public.
“How about Sibu, how many businesses have agreed to participate in the said programme? To the best of my knowledge there is none so far.”
With RM 24.4 million budgeted for this program and with no tangible results to show after 8 months of media hype, isn’t it conclusive that the GPS Kenyalang Gold Card is simply a publicity stunt by the GPS in the run up to our state election?
With RM 24.4 million spent, we can give 8133 families RM 3000 Death Compassionate Assistance instead of imposing conditions and requirements for them to be eligible for the one-off funeral expenses.
We would like the state government to come out clean by revealing the following to Sarawakians:
1) How much of the RM 24.4 million has been spent? How many cards have they issued out so far?
2) How many participating vendors have they signed up with full disclosure of the name of the vendors for each division of Sarawak.
3) Regarding the RM 3000 Death Compassionate Assistance for the deceased family for the funeral expenses, what are the conditions required for them to be eligible.
4) Why do we need this programme when the state government can use the NBIC to determine the age of all Sarawakians and they can simply use the welfare department to run this programme efficiently?
5) Shouldn’t Sarawakians be eligible for all the benefits whether they are the Gold Card holders or not, why made it so difficult for Anak Sarawak to be accorded with all the rights and privileges of being a Sarawakian?
Unless the GPS state government can come clean else it would show Sarawakians that they cannot be trusted to govern again.
