Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg (centre) and other dignitaries looking on as a SKAS recipient purchases groceries at a supermarket in Serian. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
SERIAN: More than 880,000 eligible Sarawakians will receive financial assistance under the Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS) initiative starting Tuesday (Feb 18).
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said the state government had allocated RM460mil for the initiative this year.
"We are concerned about the rising cost of living, which is affecting many families in the B40 and M40 groups.
"Under SKAS, we are targeting 886,288 eligible recipients based on Inland Revenue Board data," he told reporters after launching the initiative at the Serian Conference Centre here on Tuesday (Feb 18).
Abang Johari said to date, 564,099 or about 64% of the eligible recipients had registered for SKAS through the state's e-wallet application S Pay Global.
More than 1,200 businesses have also registered as SKAS merchants on S Pay Global.
"This enables the assistance to be channeled through digital transactions.
"The recipients can purchase essential items using the e-wallet," Abang Johari said.
The SKAS initiative was announced in the 2025 state Budget last November to provide financial assistance of RM250 to RM800 to low-income Sarawakians residing in the state.
Under SKAS, households with an income of RM5,000 and below will receive RM800, senior citizens without spouses or children and an income of RM5,000 and below will receive RM400 and single individuals with an income of RM2,500 and below will receive RM250.
In his speech earlier, Abang Johari said Sarawak was able to provide the financial assistance thanks to its strong economic position, recording a revenue of RM14.2bil last year.
"When we enjoy financial strength, we share it with the people.
"SKAS is a new initiative to ensure that everyone has food on the table," he said.
