Fatimah (second left) with Norhayati (right) and JKM aid recipient (in wheelchair).
SIBU: Sibu Welfare Department (JKM) was told to be prepared for welfare cases created by social problems due to the impact of rural-urban migration in this division.
Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said this was because Sibu was the focal point for the central region.
Rural people migrate to urban areas in search of better living, she said when officiating at a ‘Sejambak Kasih’ ceremony held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration here yesterday.
“But migrants face challenges in terms of job opportunities and their children’s education that may lead to social problems like single mothers and school dropouts.
“That was why I told JKM Sibu to make site visits immediately or assess if there were such cases reported in the newspapers or to them by the local community,” she said.
She added assistance should then be rendered if the persons involved were eligible and met JKM criteria. At the function, Fatimah, who is Dalat assemblywoman, presented a special contribution of RM100 and a hamper each to JKM aid recipients from Sibu who are celebrating Chinese New Year. She said there were a total of 6,518 JKM assisted Chinese recipients in the state, of which 2,012 were from Sibu
“The special contribution was increased from RM50 to RM100. The increase will be extended to other JKM aid recipients of other ethnicities for all major festivals in Sarawak,” she said.
Overall, she said a total of RM174.7 million was distributed last year to 57,730 JKM aid recipients state-wide under seven schemes.
The schemes are senior citizens (BOT), children (BKK), general assistance and National Economic Action Council (BA-MTEN), disabled workers allowance (EPC), assistance for caretaker of the disabled or chronic bedridden patients (BPT), assistance for the disabled who are unable to work (BTB) and children under care assistance (BAP).
She explained BOT topped the list with 22,870 recipients followed by BKK at 14,336, BA-MTEN (10,286), EPC (2,761), BPT (2,214), BTB (4,845) and BAP (18).
For Sibu alone, she said the schemes and number of recipients were BOT (4,122), BKK (2,184), BA-MTEN (1,593), BTB (635), EPC (420), BPT (287) and BAP (1) and the amount disbursed last year was RM28.47 million.