Kenyalang Gold Card: Ministry out to seek more strategic partners

The Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development is set to embark on an ‘aggressive’ recruiting strategy to build up the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC)

The KGC is a state government initiative where Sarawakian card holders aged 60 and above can enjoy discounts or rebates on essentials and services initiative, at selected establishments that have become the programme’s partners.

“We would want to add more strategic partners to this initiative so that this card can be used more comprehensively,” said minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah in her speech for the KGC plaque presentation ceremony to Win Hotel, its latest strategic partner, here on Friday.

Fatimah also emphasised the benefits of signing up into the KGC’s strategic partnership where both participating merchants and cardholders would gain mutual benefits.

“For those who would want to be KGC’s strategic partner but do not know how to apply, the application forms can be obtained at the Welfare Department, or they can also fill out the form online,” she said.

According to Fatimah, KGC currently has 471 strategic partners throughout Sarawak, of which 40 of them are from the Sibu Division.

“Sibu has 37,930 KGC members, out of the 273,979 cardholders in total,” she added.

Speaking on the amendment to the death compassionate assistance (BIK) distributed by the Sarawak government to the KGC cardholders, she said this move would provide more benefits to them.

“We have reviewed the assistance and with the approval of the state government, we hope to start by giving medical benefits to the low-income group (B40),” she said.

“When the KGC cardholders go to our health panel to seek treatment, the fee will be deducted from the amount given to the cardholder,” she said, adding that the annual aid limit would be decided later.

“This means that when the cardholders are still alive, they can make use of their KGC membership to seek treatment at any participating private clinics or hospitals, so that they don’t have to queue to the public hospital.”

Through the amendment, the death assistance (BIK), amounting to RM3,000, would be reduced to enable cardholders to receive health treatment, said Fatimah.

Among those present at the event were Welfare Department’s social welfare assistance branch head Rohana Isnawi and Sibu Division Welfare officer Tang Kee Lee.