Fatimah (third left) presents a KGC to a successful applicant. Others at front (from right) are Lo, Harden, Sharifah Hasidah, and Bong. — Photo by Tan Song Wei
KUCHING: A total of 197,122 eligible senior citizens in Sarawak have applied for the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC).
Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the figure, recorded as at Feb 28 this year, made up 62.57 per cent of the 315,000 senior citizens in the state.
“The KGC is an initiative by the Sarawak government for the elderly and ageing community of Sarawak. KGC provides countless resources to the elderly community to improve their welfare and well-being,” she said during the launch of KGC’s strategic partner H&L Xtra at Eco Mall in Samariang here.
Fatimah said to date, 201 companies had registered as KGC strategic partners.
On H&L, she said the company had 14 outlets in Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian divisions, adding that KGC holders could become H&L members for free.
She said up to Feb 28 this year, 969 applications for the death compassionate assistance (BIK) had been received from the next-of-kin of KGC holders.
Last year, she said the Welfare Department received 1,864 BIK applications.
“This has brought the total number of BIK applications for last year ,and so far this year, to 2,833,” she added.
The RM3,000 BIK must be applied for by the KGC holder’s next-of-kin within 120 days after the holder’s passing.
Among those present at the event yesterday were Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Department (Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali; Assistant Minister of Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis; Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang; and H&L director Bong Fook Kin.