VOICES of unhappiness are growing louder among the grassroots in Sarawak over unpaid dues in the form of financial aid packages that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak state government had promised small-scale businessmen months ago.
It is said that up to 40,000 deserving recipients in the state have not received what was promised to them. These are operators of small-scale entrepreneurships and micro-businesses throughout the state.
They were promised aid packages in October last year, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. These business folks are now demanding that the aid under the Bantuan Khas Sarawak Sayangku 7.0 (BKSS 7.0) be paid now.
The issue has become political in nature, with the disgruntled groups raising their grouses to opposition parties.
Last week, Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong of Sarawak DAP said these frustrated business folk want a deadline for GPS to settle the promised aid.
“Abang Jo (Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg), what happened to your promise to give out the RM10,000 in BKSS 7.0 aid for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and RM3,000 to micro-businesses?” she asked in her social media post and a press statement.
She said more than three months have passed since applications were submitted online in October 2021 to the state Economic Planning Unit, after the unit informed these business groups of the aid being offered.
That offer in October last year was made during the run-up to the 12th state election that later took place in December.
Last year, GPS promised to help business folk who were hit badly by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The promised cash aid to each of these recipients were supposed to be delivered before the state election in December.
This is not the first time that the small-scale trading groups who had not received their dues have aired their grouses.
In Miri, some of these traders aired their feelings to Miri Parti Sarawak Bersatu chief Bruce Chai last month.
GPS cannot hold back the aid promised and due to deserving recipients. GPS politicians cannot conveniently forget or neglect their dues after winning the state election.
Whatever aid packages these politicians had promised to the rakyat four months ago ought to have been fulfilled by now. It is a matter of honour, so GPS must pay up their dues now. – The Vibes, January 16, 2022
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