Kuching: ADUN for Pending, Violet Yong, said Madam Kong Kim Ho’s case clearly demonstrates why the Sarawak Government must establish a proper appeal and review mechanism for Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance Scheme (SKAS) applicants who have been rejected or unfairly excluded.
Yong said a genuine Sarawakian who had previously qualified for assistance should not suddenly be excluded due to a technical issue beyond her control.
“Her experience also proves an important point – the Sarawak Government is not always right, and deserving cases can be overlooked under the present system,” she said in a statement.
Her remarks came after the Madam Kong case, who is a Sarawakian who successfully received SKAS assistance in 2025 but was unexpectedly excluded from SKAS 2026 because her non-Sarawakian husband is listed as the principal applicant under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) system.
However, after Violet raised the issue during the recent Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting last week, Madam Kong has finally received her SKAS. Madam Kong is delighted to find that her Sarawak Pay account was credited with RM740 on Saturday.
According to Yong, no system is perfect, and administrative rigidities, technical issues, and screening limitations could result in genuine Sarawakians being unfairly excluded from assistance schemes.
“This is precisely why the Sarawak Government must not assume that every SKAS decision is accurate or final without providing an avenue for appeal and review,” she said.
Yong, therefore, urged the Sarawak Government to immediately establish a clear, transparent, and accessible appeal mechanism for SKAS to ensure that deserving individuals who have been unfairly excluded can have their cases reassessed promptly and fairly.
She also welcomed members of the public facing issues with their SKAS applications to contact her so that genuine cases could be raised with the relevant authorities.
