THE State Government has no immediate plans to increase welfare assistance despite the rising cost of living.
Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing Assistant Minister Datuk Rina Jainal said the State Government would maintain welfare assistance at between RM200 and RM350 per month.
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She said any increase in the State’s welfare allocation would depend on Sabah’s current financial position.
“For federal welfare assistance, any increase in the assistance rate is based on the federal budget announced by the Prime Minister during the Budget presentation in Parliament,” she said.
Replying to an oral question from Grace Lee Li Mei (Appointed Assembly Member), Rina said eligibility for welfare assistance had also been expanded based on the current Poverty Line Income, with the household income ceiling increased from RM1,198 in 2025 to RM1,236 this year.
As of June 2026, the Sabah Welfare Services Department recorded thousands of welfare recipients in Kota Kinabalu under eight assistance schemes.
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The largest group comprised 7,196 recipients under the Senior Citizens Assistance Scheme, followed by 6,489 recipients under the General Assistance Scheme.
Other recipients included 1,538 under the Disabled and Chronic Patient Care Assistance Scheme, 1,402 under the Children’s Assistance Scheme, 910 under the Disabled Persons Unable to Work Assistance Scheme, 640 under the Orphans Assistance Scheme, 569 receiving the Disabled Workers Allowance and eight under the Foster Child Assistance Scheme.
Responding to a supplementary question from Silam Assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Yusof Apdal on whether the Ministry would consider introducing a separate urban poverty line for Kota Kinabalu, arguing that the current poverty line income no longer reflects the city’s cost of living, Rina said there were no plans to further revise the threshold at this time.
She said the poverty line had only recently been raised and the Ministry would continue to monitor developments before considering any further adjustments.
“At the moment, the assistance and the poverty line income have only recently been increased. There are no plans for a further revision for now, but the Ministry will continue to monitor the situation from time to time,” she said.
