KUCHING: The Sarawak government yesterday announced the third package of the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS 3.0) with a total allocation of RM300 million to help more people affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The package announced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg also includes a one-off payment of RM1,500 for about 500 media practitioners in the state.
“Because you (the media practitioners) also face the same risk as other frontliners and therefore, all of you are entitled to this assistance,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Among the initiatives under BKSS 3.0 is cash assistance of RM1,500 to another 30,000 household heads, and also a one-off payment of RM500 for 377,806 single individuals aged 21-years and above earning less than RM2,000 a month.
It also includes a special grant of RM750 for hawkers and small traders registered with the local authorities, on top of the RM1,500 grant allocated under BKSS 2.0, he said.
A special monthly allowance of RM200 will be given to 358 personnel from the State Customs Department, 870 from the local authorities, 887 personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department and another 500 personnel from the Civil Defence Force.
“The state government is also concerned about the ferry operators plying the Sarawak River.
Thus, a one-off payment of RM500 will be distributed to registered owners and operators,” he added.
Previously, the state government had announced a RM1.15 billion allocation for the first package of BKSS on March 23, followed by the second package of RM1.11 billion on April 10. — Bernama
Source : https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/05/09/special-allocation-for-media-practitioners-in-bkss-3-0-abang-johari/