7,318 to receive special festive welfare assistance

SARIKEI: A total of 7,318 registered recipients of welfare assistance will receive special assistance under the State Welfare Department’s Boutique of Love (Sejambak Kasih) programme in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebration.

Assistant Minister of Community Wellbeing, Datuk Francis Harden Hollis said that just like Gawai Dayak and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, each recipient will get RM100 while kicking off the distribution of assistance at Sarikei Innovation Centre here yesterday.

This Chinese New Year’s recipients comprise 2,669 from Kuching Division, Samarahan (218), Serian (339), Sri Aman (254), Betong (161), Sarikei (395), Sibu (1949), Mukah (172), Kapit (52), Bintulu (252), Miri (680) and Limbang (177).

As usual, a hamper worth RM50 will also be given to those invited to a end the assistance presentation ceremony, he said, while those who were not invited would get their assistance through their bank accounts.

The next distribution will be held in Serian followed by other

The small assistance would help to alleviate the hardship of the less fortunate people and enable them to celebrate the festivity with the rest of the community Datuk Francis Harden Hollis

districts throughout the state, he added.

Harden further disclosed that last year the State Welfare Department disbursed a total of RM183,989,980 to 56,984 recipients of various categories of assistance.

Of the amount, RM81,618,430 was paid to 22,158 recipients of assistance for the old aged (BOT); RM23,208,250 + RM5,318,000 to 10,674 less fortunate children; RM28,432,100 to 11,425 recipients of General Assistance (BA); RM14,872,700 incentive to 3,471 employed disabled people; RM7,087650 to 1,937 caretakers of disabled and chronicallysick patients; RM19,470,550 + RM3,868,800 to 7,264 recipients of unemployed disabled people; RM62,500 to 18 recipients of Adopted Children Assistance; and RM51,000 to 37 recipients of youth assistance.

For Sarikei

Division,