LOOKING OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY
TNB’s Mesra Rakyat project ensures new homes for the hardcore poor
SEGAMAT: It was a first for Tenaga Nasonal Bhd (TNB), under its corporate social responsibility programme Projek Mesra Rakyat, to construct a brand new home for deserving recipients.
TNB board of directors member Datuk A. Sakthivel said they usually conducted house repairs for poor families, but 63-year-old S. Walliamah’s case was different as her home was in very bad condition.
“We decide to demolish her old house and build her a completely new one,” he said.
The house, which was erected on the land belonging to Walliamah, cost about RM50,000 and took almost two months to complete, Sakthivel added.
The house was officially presented to Walliamah, a widow who is looking after her three grandchildren – a pair of twins aged nine and their 10-year-old sister.
MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, who presented a mock key to the recipient, suggested that government-linked companies (GLCs) should repair or build homes for the hardcore poor to help tackle housing issues.
The Health Minister also commended TNB for its efforts and concern over issues surrounding the local community, adding that he hoped other GLCs would follow such initiatives.
“I will propose to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) to encourage GLCs to help build new homes for the hardcore poor to alleviate their living condition.
“Maybe some of them have already conducted such initiatives, but we need more to come forward in assisting,” he said.
He added that the new house had renewed Walliamah’s spirit as she had been depending on MIC to support her family for the past few years.
During the ceremony, Dr Subramaniam and Sakthivel presented Walliamah with a stand fan, an electric kettle and food hampers, also courtesy of TNB.
Since introducing its Mesra Rakyat project in 2013, some 92 recipients have benefited from the move with an overall cost of RM1.92mil.