By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Assistance provided to the public in the country does not follow a welfare state concept, says Sabah Assistant Women, Health and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk Rina Jainal.
She said financial aid was assessed based on each recipient's potential, particularly those who were still economically productive, with the aim of encouraging self-reliance.
"Completed applications will be investigated and considered based on eligibility, not entitlement, regardless of race, religion or gender.
"Welfare financial assistance is temporary in nature, intended to help individuals or families in need achieve a better and higher quality of life," she said during a question-and-answer session at the state legislative assembly sitting here.
She was responding to questions from Edna Majimbun (Warisan-Inanam) on aid distribution and eligibility criteria.
Rina said the assistance was guided by social work principles aimed at improving recipients' social functioning.
She said that it was the responsibility of approved recipients to submit review applications within the stipulated period, or risk having their aid terminated.
Meanwhile, she said the ministry, through the General Welfare Services Department, was maintaining the current state welfare assistance rate of between RM200 and RM350.
"Any increase in allocation depends on the state government's financial position.
"As for federal welfare assistance, adjustments are subject to the federal budget announcement by the prime minister in Parliament," she added.
Rina said that both state and federal governments had raised the eligibility threshold for assistance based on the current Poverty Line Income (PLI).
"This has increased from a household income of RM1,198 in 2025 to RM1,236 in 2026, while per capita income has risen from RM322 to RM348," she said.
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