A social transformation framework to ensure people’s wellbeing

KUCHING: The Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Ministry has come up with a state social transformation framework to better coordinate, integrate and improve policies and programmes to ensure the people’s wellbeing.

Its minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the framework will be fine tuned in one month’s time.

“After roundtable discussions, we agreed on 10 pillars complete with objective, scope, strategic and action plan. The 10 pillars are Family Institution, Housing, Social Harmony, Public Safety, Social Responsibility, Social Space and Infrastructure, Environmental Sustainability, Social and Health Protection, Capacity Building and Good Governance.

“We will do the fine-tuning in one month’s time and we will table it to the Social Development Council (MPS). From there, we will table it to the State Secretary then to the State Cabinet for approval.

“Once approved, it becomes something of authority and term of reference for the state social transformation framework,” she told a press conference after chairing a final draft report presentation meeting with the consultant Sarawak Development Institute yesterday.

She added that the framework is expected to be established within three months or by March next year.

Fatimah pointed out that the state had reached a point in time where it is necessary to look at social development seriously.

“We cannot put aside social development. We want to develop physically and economically, as well as socially. All three components are equally important.

“We are planning to come up with a social index to learn what is the state of social wellbeing of the community, and rate the various components as well as what intervention needs to be done.

“A framework for the social index is expected to be done by June next year,” she said.