Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok
KUCHING: The Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) 5.0 is timely in helping Sarawakians reduce their financial burden amid this pandemic, Sarawak Housing Estate Developers Association (Sheda) Kuching branch said.
In a statement yesterday, its chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok said they are grateful for the timely extension of BKSS, which was first rolled out by the state government in March last year.
“Sarawak government started this Covid-19 assistance in March 2020 and we are now in the 5th of the series of BKSS,” he said.
Sim was glad that the Sarawak government had continued to reduce the statutory and utilities rates for another six months until June this year, saying this showed that the state government understood the hardships Sarawakians are going through in this pandemic.
With the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and movement restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus, he said the productivity and income of most Sarawakians had been affected.
“We are fortunate that our state government can afford to give this assistance worth RM405 million to lessen our burden.
“From utilities discount, assessment and land rates reduction, licence fee and permits for traders, hawkers and hotels (for this year) waiver, rental waiver for GLCs (government-linked companies) and statutory bodies properties, 50 per cent rental reduction for HDC (Housing Development Corporation) housing rental scheme will also help many small traders, workers, businesses and also hotels,” he said.
According to Sim, the vaccines are expected to arrive in Malaysia by next month.
He noted that the federal government had announced that it would take until the first quarter of next year to vaccinate 80 per cent of the population.
Given this, he said people in the country could expect this pandemic to be around until then.
“Our state government might still need to extend this assistance after end of June this year for us to accommodate the Covid prevention lifestyle.
“I am confident that our state government will be caring and will not leave anyone behind, in helping us to pull through this difficult time in protecting our health and our livelihood,” he added.
Sim also advised all to comply with the SOP, wash their hands, wear face mask and practise physical distancing until they get vaccinated.