George (third left) presents the registration certificate to Jimmy, while other members look on.
KUCHING (Apr 18): School bus drivers in Muara Tuang now have their own association to take care of their welfare and fight for their rights.
They were helped by Habitat for Indigenous and Urban Programme (Hidup) president George Young Si Ricord Jr in registering the association with the Registrar of Society (RoS), and who was then appointed their advisor.
George said that with the setting up of the association, the bus drivers could address specific challenges faced especially during the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Recovery MCO when their monthly income and livelihood were drastically affected.
The association will also provide an avenue for the members to consolidate and strengthen their effort to raise fund from corporate bodies and government agencies.
George said during the closure of schools the whole of last year the majority of drivers had to find alternative employment to support their family and pay the monthly installment of their buses.
Even with the recent reopening of schools within the Muara Tuang/Samarahan district, their income have not improved much as many parents are still reluctant to send their children to schools. To make ends meet, most of the bus driver are still doing multiple jobs, and the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the district doesn’t augur well for them.
George presented the registration certificate to the association chairman, Jimmy Holiday, yesterday to mark the successful registration of the association.
Also, during the handover ceremony, Hidup and their corporate partner, One Cent Sdn Bhd, introduced the Digital Entrepreneur Programme to the members.
One Cent is a financial technology mobile application that will provide members and the association with cash back return.
According to One Cent representative Alvin Chung, this platform would provide an opportunity to supplement the income of the members and indirectly generate funds for the association.
Jimmy meanwhile echoed George’s hope that the state Ministry of Transportation could provide a one-off grant to this newly established Pertubuhan Pemilik Bas Sekolah Muara Tuang Kuching to ease the members’ burden.