KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) councillor Eric Tay urged that the assistance and benefits entitled for Sarawak’s senior citizens be carried out with compassion, simplicity and with clarity.
He noted that mobile service programmes have shown seniors were willing to learn and adapt to the current technology via their smartphones.
While Tay understands there were proposals to allow the Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance (SKAS) to be withdrawn in cash, he stressed that any change must consider practical realities and risks to ensure aid genuinely meets essential living needs.
“The purpose of a welfare system is not merely to distribute money, but to ensure it is genuinely converted into daily necessities,” he said, adding that cash withdrawals could lead to misuse for non-essential spending.
He clarified this was not about distrust but reflected through realities observed in frontline community work.
Tay said the current SKAS system, which requires smartphones, ensures aid is focused on livelihood-related items and aligned with the programme’s objectives.
“The direction of this mechanism is to ensure basic needs are met, rather than introduce new risks,” he added.
Sharing his experience, Tay said more than 150 mobile service sessions have been conducted, visiting neighbourhoods almost every Saturday to help seniors and families apply for SKAS or learn to use the system.
“Many seniors are eager to learn, while family members and youths often assist those without smartphones.
“The seniors we see in Sarawak are not the group society imagines as ‘unable to keep up with the times.’ With guidance and companionship, they are often wiser, more adaptable and willing to learn than many assume,” he said.
He added that strengthening mobile services, community education programmes and on-ground support systems would help ensure no one is left behind while maintaining accountability.
“Our seniors are the treasures of Sarawak — the generation whose efforts built the foundation of today’s progress. Policies must carry both warmth and strength,” Tay said, adding that his decision to enter politics was motivated by a desire to help vulnerable groups receive assistance effectively.
He will continue using mobile services to reach communities directly and advocate for policy improvements.
“As long as we are present on the ground, listen sincerely and provide immediate assistance, we can truly turn politics back into service and not just mere slogan,” he said.
