No need one-off RM500 payment for all Sarawakians, says PBB

 

Karim Hamzah of PBB says it is better to use revenue from SST to benefit those most in need.

KUCHING: A PBB leader disagrees with his coalition partner over a proposal to make a one-off payment of RM500 to all Sarawakians using revenue from the state sales tax (SST) imposed on petroleum products.

PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this will lead to speculation over the state government’s intentions, especially with the state election being around the corner.

He said there are other ways in which Sarawakians could benefit from the revenue gained by the state from this sales tax.

“I personally don’t agree to give a one-off payment to all Sarawakians. Instead, I would support the state government to increase the monthly aid to welfare recipients, disabled persons, B40 families, farmers and fishermen, or even in the form of monetary aid to senior citizens,” he told FMT.

He was responding to SUPP, a component of GPS, which has urged the state government to use the RM3.18 billion revenue collected from the SST on petroleum products in 2019 to give a one-off payment of RM500 to all Sarawakians.

“I understand the intention of SUPP in wanting to share the SST among all Sarawakians but it might be misconstrued, especially when the Sarawak state election is just around the corner,” Karim said.

Meanwhile, Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang said the idea of giving RM500 for all Sarawakians is appealing but it needs to be given fairly.

“I would prefer for those in the B40 and M40 groups to be given a bigger amount compared with those in the T20 group,” adding that the amount given to the T20 should just be a token sum by virtue of the fact that they are Sarawakians.

“The state government needs to strategise on how to use the SST revenue to close the huge disparity of wealth in Sarawak, to spur sustainable development and raise the living standard of the people in the state.”

Chang said this should be the top priority as the latest report from the statistics department has shown that seven out of the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia are in Sarawak. - FMT