Gerawat says the initiative, credited directly to recipients’ MyKad and usable only at authorised supermarkets or mini markets, does not take into account the unique challenges faced by rural communities.
MIRI (July 25): While the federal government’s latest RM100 cash aid under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) initiative has been lauded as a timely relief for many Malaysians, elected representatives from rural Sarawak have raised concerns that the current rollout mechanism risks leaving out communities in the interior.
Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala said the initiative, credited directly to recipients’ MyKad and usable only at authorised supermarkets or mini markets, does not take into account the unique challenges faced by rural communities.
“Assistance that helps reduce the people’s burden is always appreciated. However, for those in the interior without access to approved outlets, this RM100 becomes inaccessible, unless they travel to town, often spending more than RM100 just to get there.
“This defeats the very purpose of the aid,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted for comments on the aid distribution.
To address the issue, Gerawat suggested expanding the Jualan Rahmah programme to remote communities and allowing the RM100 credit to be used there.
He also proposed extending the validity of the aid to one year, to give rural recipients sufficient time to utilise it.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced several Madani appreciation measures, including the RM100 Sara assistance, a freeze on toll rate hikes for 10 highways, and a reduced RON95 fuel price of RM1.99 per litre.
However, Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau noted that many of the measures appear to be more applicable to urban populations, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia.
“The only direct benefit for our rural folks is the RM100. But how can they use it if they have no access to the outlets, or if they don’t have a MyKad?” he questioned.
Dennis pointed out that some villagers in longhouses still do not possess identity cards, due to a combination of remoteness and logistical hurdles.
“It’s not that they don’t want to apply. Some were born and raised deep in the interior, and getting to the nearest JPN (National Registration Department) office, even during mobile outreach visits, is a journey full of challenges.”
He added that fuel price reduction, toll freezes, and even EPF-related announcements hold little relevance in the rural belts of Sarawak, where roads remain limited and fuel prices are already higher due to transport costs.
“The delivery system needs to reflect the realities in Sarawak’s interior,” Dennis stressed.
Both leaders agreed that while the Unity Government’s intentions are noble, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach risks further marginalising those living far from urban centres, unless a more inclusive distribution mechanism is adopted, one that reflects the unique needs of rural Sarawak.
Their concerns are grounded in personal experience: Gerawat hails from Pa’ Lungan, a remote village in the Bario highlands near the Malaysian-Indonesian border, while Dennis is from Long Bedian, deep in central Baram region.
The post RM100 aid welcome, but inaccessible for many in rural Sarawak, say reps appeared first on Borneo Post Online.