‘Index vital in knowing people’s social wellness’
KUCHING: The State Social Wellness Index is important for Sarawak because it indicates social wellness and identify social problems in each division of the state.
Assistant Minister for Welfare and Community Wellbeing Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said this at the closing ceremony of a workshop on State Social Wellness Index here yesterday.
“This social index is in place to enable the state to know the community’s social being.
“Indicators such as family institution, capacity- building, housing, social harmony, public safety, social space and infrastructure, good governance and practices, environmental security, society and health protection are vital and have to be looked into as they make up a complete framework of State Social Wellness Index,” he said.
He said some of the existing programmes for combating social issues in the state would also be reviewed under the index to improve and coordinate things in tackling social issues in the state.
“For instance, there is a workshop on drug to be held in Lawas from May 4 - 7.
“This workshop will be evaluated under the Social Wellness Index as a public safety indicator.
He also said once implemented, Sarawak would be the first state to have such an index. The workshop, organised by Social Development Council of Sarawak, was held to fine-tune the framework for the State Social Wellness Index.
Eighty-seven participants from various government agencies and local universities attended the workshop.