Over RM136 million spent for people’s welfare, wellbeing
MIRI: The state government has spent over RM136 million on various initiatives between January 2019 and Sept 30 this year in order to safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of the people, said Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She said no other states in the country had introduced and implemented these initiatives.
“Among the initiatives are the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS), which commenced on Jan 1, 2019. From Jan 1, 2019 to Sept 30 this year, a total of 66,234 applications had been received, with a total of RM66,234,000 having been approved,” she said at a briefing on management and administration, with the community leaders from Bekenu at a hotel here yesterday.
The minister said although there was a drop in number of births of Sarawakians registered in the state this year in comparison with the data recorded in 2019 and last year, the EFS would still continue on as the state government had allocated RM15 million for next year.
Other initiatives, she added, included Bantuan Ibu Bersalin (BIB), which had benefited 33,571 mothers as at Sept 30 this year.
Under the initiative, each recipient is entitled to RM450 meant to cover post-natal care.
“For BIB, the allocation amounted to RM15,106,950,” said Fatimah.
In addition, she said the state government also allocated grants to early childhood institutions in the state, which as at Sept 17 this year, had benefited 8,581 institutions. Through the special annual grant (GTK), she said the state government had spent RM42,905,000.
As for the Death Compassionate Assistance (BIK) initiative, Fatimah said a total of 4,172 applications had been received between last year and Sept 29 this year, involving a payout of RM12,516,000.
BIK is a one-off RM3,000 assistance to next-of-kin of Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) holders, meant to ease the family’s burden in arranging for funerals or acquiring coffins.
“Another initiative undertaken by the state government is assistance for kidney patients, which was introduced in 2020.
“The assistance is for patients in the B40 and M40 (low and medium-income, respectively) groups to help them with their treatment or support,” she said.
She pointed out that the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, was able to implement such initiatives because of its stable financial position.
“The Chief Minister always finds ways to look for revenue so that from there, we can give back to the people,” she said.
On another note, Fatimah called upon voters in Bekenu in particular to rally behind the incumbent, Datuk Rosey Yunus, in the next state election to ensure her victory.
“We hope that through what we have shared this afternoon, we would be able to convince our people on how our state government is different from other state governments.
“That even though we are now in the recovery phase of Covid-19, we still continue with these assistance through these initiatives,” she said.
Earlier, Fatimah called upon the community leaders to equip themselves with knowledge so they too could help their communities right at the grassroots level.
She pointed out that the community leaders acted as ‘the ears and eyes of the government’, and that was why they must equip themselves with knowledge.
Also present at the function were acting deputy Miri Resident Rose Edward Tarang, Subis District officer Jamalie Busri and Sarawak Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad.