{"id":34707,"date":"2026-04-17T11:50:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/?p=34707"},"modified":"2026-04-25T11:51:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T03:51:05","slug":"sarawak-premier-announces-special-aid-measures-to-ease-cost-of-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/?p=34707","title":{"rendered":"Sarawak Premier announces special aid measures to ease cost of living"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg today announced a series of special assistance measures to help ease the cost of living for the people of Sarawak, following the global energy and economic pressures triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at a press conference, he said the crisis has led to rising global costs, including aviation fuel surcharges, transportation expenses, fertiliser prices and other agricultural inputs, which in turn have driven up the prices of food and daily necessities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mitigate the impact, the Sarawak government will increase the 2026 Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance (SKAS). Under the revised scheme, heads of households will receive RM1,100, up from RM950, while single elderly individuals without spouses or children will receive RM600, increased from RM500. Assistance for single individuals will also be raised from RM300 to RM375.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abang Johari said approximately 900,000 eligible recipients will benefit from the enhanced assistance, which will be disbursed in stages based on 2026 data, following an earlier payout in March, with subsequent payments scheduled for May and November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the increase involves an additional allocation of RM136.2 million, bringing the total SKAS allocation for 2026 to RM680 million, up from RM543.8 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the Sarawak government will provide a 25 percent electricity bill discount for domestic users from April to December this year. The initiative, similar to the previous \u201cSarawakku Sayang\u201d assistance package, is expected to benefit 714,557 households, with the state government bearing the full cost of RM188.1 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To further ease the burden on traders, the government will also offer a 50 percent rental discount for stalls and markets under local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Micro, small and medium enterprises renting premises from government linked agencies such as the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, Bintulu Development Authority and Land Custody and Development Authority will also receive a 50 percent rental reduction, involving about RM8.1 million, to be borne by the respective agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, Abang Johari said the total financial assistance provided by the Sarawak government in 2026 amounts to RM876.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the proactive measures demonstrate the government\u2019s commitment to standing with the people during uncertain geopolitical conditions, ensuring their welfare remains protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also noted that ongoing infrastructure development has helped cushion the impact of rising living costs. High impact projects, particularly the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme, have ensured 24 hour electricity supply to rural households through solar energy, reducing reliance on costly and unstable diesel fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the construction of free bridges across Sarawak to replace ferry services is another strategic move, not only improving logistics but also reducing dependence on diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, six bridges have been completed, with four more under construction.
Abang Johari stressed that the Sarawak government will continue to closely monitor developments in the Middle East conflict and its impact on the state\u2019s economy and business sector, while working with the federal government to address emerging challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also called on all Sarawakians, regardless of race or religion, to remain united and work together with the government in facing the increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg today announced a series of special assistance measures to help ease the cost of living for the people of Sarawak, following the global energy and economic pressures triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Speaking at a press conference, he said the crisis has led to rising global costs, including aviation fuel surcharges, transportation expenses, fertiliser prices and other agricultural inputs, which in turn have driven up the prices of food and daily necessities. To mitigate the impact, the Sarawak government will increase the 2026Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34708,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1,7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34707"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34707"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34709,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34707\/revisions\/34709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}