KUCHING: Sarawak is set to offer insurance and welfare assistance to support its ageing B40 population starting next year.
Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the initiative is aimed at caring for the elderly within the state.
“Sarawak will become an ageing society by 2028, where 7 percent of the population will be older than 65.
“Therefore, by next year, the Sarawak Government will start to provide some form of insurance and cash allowance yearly,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the 14th annual Rath Yathra (Chariots Festival) organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kuching at the Kuching Waterfront yesterday evening (Oct 7).
Dr Sim, who is also the Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government said following the inclusion of the B40 ageing group, the government plans to expand the assistance to include the M40 group and eventually extend the initiative to support all Sarawakians.
“This is an approach of sharing the state’s resources prior to achieving prosperity to ensure that Sarawak’s revenue can be enjoyed by all,” he said.
He added the state’s income nearly reached RM12 billion last year, and Sarawak also achieved the high income status according to the World Bank.
“Initially, the plan was to provide free university education to all Sarawakian children by 2030. However, due to increasing income, we have advanced this goal, and by 2026, all Sarawakian children will have access to free tertiary education.
Dr Sim added that to ensure the Sarawak Government continues to bring development and provide beneficial initiative to the people, the state’s population of different backgrounds must remain united.
“In Sarawak, we really value cultural and religious harmony because it is only through this unity, we can build a stable Sarawak.
“Apart from that, it allows us to focus and work towards our Premier’s plan in the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 – to become the most prosperous state by 2030, to foster inclusivity, and to prioritise environmental sustainability,” he said.
He also called upon the Indian community of ISKCON Kuching to contribute to the nation-building of Sarawak.
Speaking about the annual festival, Dr. Sim praised its dedication, colourful chariots, parade, cultural performances, music, and vegetarian food offerings.
“Thus, I’m very pleased to see that this festival brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, and this energy is essential, aligning perfectly with the overall energy and spirit of Sarawak.
“We require this human energy to ensure the realisation of our development plan, aiming to make Sarawak a shining example of harmonious coexistence among diverse races and religions, while also living in harmony with nature for our survival,” said Dr Sim.
Among those present at the festival were Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) Mayor Hilmy Othman, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Deputy Mayor Datuk Zaiedi Suhaili, Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) director Datuk Jack Aman Luat, Federation of Chinese Association of Sarawak president Datuk Richard Wee, ISKCON Kuching chairman His Grace Prabhu Kripa Sindhu Krishna Das, and Penghulu Lucy Linggam.
