KUCHING: Opposition party Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has highlighted significant logistical barriers preventing approximately one million rural residents from accessing the federal government’s RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) aid programme.
Dr John Brian Anthony, PBDS permanent chairman, issued a statement calling attention to the challenges faced by residents in remote longhouses and settlements across Malaysia’s largest state.
The party emphasised that geographical obstacles, including poor road infrastructure and mountainous terrain, create insurmountable barriers for many eligible recipients attempting to reach urban centers where the aid can be claimed.
“Remote community residents possess valid MyKad identification but cannot access SARA benefits due to limited retail outlets in rural areas with adequate supplies,“ Anthony explained.
He noted that residents must travel to urban centers via hazardous rural roads, incurring substantial fuel costs that many cannot afford.
The situation has led to concerning practices where elderly or physically challenged longhouse residents are providing their MyKad to relatives or neighbors for aid collection—a practice that violates programme regulations.
“Such identity card transfers are prohibited under the law unless the cardholder is bedridden or paralyzed. However, desperate circumstances are driving these violations across numerous rural settlements,“ Anthony stated.
The PBDS chairman called for immediate intervention from both federal leaders in Putrajaya and state authorities in Kuching to address these accessibility issues.
His proposed solution involves converting the RM100 SARA aid from goods vouchers to direct cash payments for rural recipients, enabling easier distribution without requiring travel to participating retailers.
The party also urged Sarawak’s elected representatives to expedite solutions for affected communities.
This concern echoes similar issues raised by other rural representatives who have noted that while the federal government’s expanded SARA programme for 2025 includes enhanced coverage for Sabah and Sarawak, the current distribution mechanism risks excluding interior communities.
PBDS operates as an independent opposition party, maintaining no affiliations with either Gabungan Parti Sarawak or Pakatan Harapan coalitions.
The 2025 SARA programme expanded access nationwide via MyKad, increased eligible item categories, and raised targeted support for poor households to RM2,100 annually, with enhanced coverage extending to Sabah and Sarawak.