Fatimah is seen with the committee at the start of the meeting.

KUCHING (Nov 21): Sarawak will introduce a fully digital and integrated application system for the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) and Post-Natal Assistance (BIB) starting Jan 1, 2026.

Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the move is expected to speed up processing and make both initiatives more accessible to the public, especially Sarawakians living outside the state.

She said the new system, developed by Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (Sains), will allow all applications to be submitted online via sarawak.gov.my and verified through SarawakPass.

“With this new system, applicants will no longer need to go to the bank, the ministry’s offices, or the National Registration Department. Everything can be done online, anytime,” she said after chairing the EFS working committee meeting here on Thursday.

She explained that the system integrates key databases and digital platforms, including Sarawak ID and Sarawak Pay Global, enabling more seamless verification and faster disbursement.

The turnaround time for EFS applications – currently between three and six months – is expected to be reduced to just one month once the system goes live.

For the BIB, processing could be shortened from two or three months to a week.

“This digital strengthening effort is a major leap forward in improving service delivery, transparency, data coordination, and user convenience,” she stressed.

She explained the committee is tasked with monitoring EFS operations, reviewing anomaly applications, and determining the fund’s strategic direction.

Fatimah said the state government remains committed to enhancing welfare delivery mechanisms and the shift to a digital end-to-end system reflects Sarawak’s wider push towards efficient and citizen-friendly public services.

A total of 141,869 Sarawakian children have received EFS accounts amounting to RM141.8 million in state allocations from Jan 1, 2019 to Oct 31, 2025.

She said the fund continues to see encouraging participation, reflecting strong support for the state government’s long-term initiative to promote financial preparedness for Sarawak children.

As of Oct 31, 2025, Sarawak recorded 22,895 births eligible under the scheme, with 19,458 applications (85 per cent) received through Bank Islam and Affin Bank.

Fatimah pointed out the state Cabinet had in November last year appointed Affin Bank Berhad to manage EFS 2.0 from Jan 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2029.

A memorandum of agreement between her ministry and Affin Bank was signed on June 23, 2025, marking what she described as “a significant step forward in strengthening the programmes delivery system”.

The first batch of payments under EFS 2.0 – covering 1,456 eligible recipients – was channelled to Affin Bank on July 18.

As of Nov 17, Affin Bank has opened 6,287 EFS 2.0 accounts, with a total savings value of RM6.2 million.