Mca Mykasih System Failure Raises Serious Doubts About Future Govt Policies

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AN MCA leader said the recent breakdown of the MyKasih system during the initial days of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) aid rollout raises doubts about future policies, especially with the upcoming rationalisation of RON95 petrol subsidies.
The party’s Public Policy and People’s Livelihood Research Advisory committee chairperson Datuk Dr Monna Ong Siew Siew said the glitches in the system had once again shone the light on major gaps in government planning, adding that the disruption had caused real hardship especially for senior citizens and low-income families who rely heavily on the aid.
“Without stronger safeguards, how can the rakyat be assured that petrol stations will not face similar chaos, with long queues and public disorder?” Dr Ong asked.
“The key question is this: did the government not foresee the surge in transactions over a long weekend and National Day holidays? It is clear that stress tests and operational simulations were not done thoroughly enough.”
On Aug 31, several news outlets had reported that across many supermarkets nationwide, many were left waiting in long queues for hours, with some even forced to abandon their trolleys of essential goods.
Glitches were reported at several outlets where some shoppers were unable to redeem their RM100 and had to pay out of their own pockets.
“Such scenes not only disrupted daily lives, but also raised serious questions about the government’s readiness to manage a RM2 bil programme meant for over 20 million people,” Dr Ong stressed.
She said to prevent a repeat of such incidents, several measures are urgently needed:
Strengthen system capacity: Platforms handling welfare aid for millions must undergo proper large-scale testing with real data. Technology providers must also upgrade servers, databases, and networks regularly, in line with industry standards;Ensure backup mechanisms: If the main system fails, alternatives must be ready. These could include a secondary online channel, temporary manual verification, or partnerships with financial institutions. This would prevent aid recipients from being cut off entirely during disruptions;Improve communication: When disruptions occur, beneficiaries must be notified quickly through official channels such as SMS, social media, government websites, and media statements. Clear updates help prevent unnecessary panic and frustration; andPublish post-incident reports: The government must provide transparent explanations on what caused the failure and what corrective steps are being taken. This builds confidence and ensures accountability.“The people cannot continue to serve as ‘test subjects’ each time a new policy is rolled out. Welfare programmes must lighten the rakyat’s burden, not worsen it through poor execution and weak governance,” said Dr Ong.
Following the breakdown of the system on Aug 31, the Ministry of Finance and MyKasih had issued an apology, saying their terminal system had experienced delays in processing transactions due to a surge in purchasing volume.
In a joint statement, they said while purchases could still be made, some retail outlets might have difficulty processing them because of the heavy system demand. ‒  Focus Malaysia

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