KUCHING: Public awareness on the Sarawak Rental Assistance Scheme (SRAS) needs to be further increased.
In stating this, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok said that one of the ways is to promote this benefit to major employers in Sarawak and increase news media to help disseminate information on how to apply and who can apply.
He added that aside from that, the state government can also inform all secondary schools, colleges and universities of the benefit for the scheme for school leavers.
“As this scheme is mostly for major towns to help the lower income earners cope with the rising cost of living, this scheme needs to be known by those in need.
“This will help the lower income earners to rent proper accommodation.
“It will automatically help in reducing illegal squatters who cannot afford to rent proper accommodation,” he said in a statement yesterday (June 20).
Sim commended the Ministry of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government for expanding the scheme to those who are 18 years old and above, single, and earning below RM2,500 per month.
“This move widens this assistance to a bigger group of our population where this younger segment will need the assistance more especially when they have just started out in the working world,” he said.
For the record, the scheme was introduced in 2021 with the aim of helping the low income families to battle high cost of living.
A total of RM48 million was allocated for the scheme which provides RM200 subsidy per month for up to three years for the successful applicants.
