PULAU BRUIT: A total of 881 fishermen from the Bruit Fishermen’s Association (PNK) received the Fishermen’s Living Allowance (ESHN) in cash at the Bruit PNK living allowance cash presentation ceremony held at the Kampung Betanak Community Hall, in Pulau Bruit recently.
A total of RM300,150 as a whole was distributed in cash to fishermen in the area, involving 10 villages namely Kampung Penuai, Penibong, Betanak, Salah Kechil, Penipah, Tekajong, Bruit, Semop, Saai and Kut. Tanjung Manis Member of Parliament, Datuk Hajah Norah Tun Abdul Rahman officiated at the cash handover ceremony.
Speaking at the event, she said, the ESHN is a monthly financial aid of between RM250 and RM300 to each qualified fisherman from the government through the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) to ease their financial burden. Every fisherman eligible to receive ESHN by categories A, B and C2 receives an allowance of RM300 and RM250 per month, Norah said.
“According to LKIM sources, monthly allowance payments to fishermen from June 2008 up till now involves 11,000 fishermen in the state with an allocation of more than RM100 million.
“Likewise, for fishermen in Bruit Island area, RM21 million has been distributed since 2008 to this day,” she said. Obviously, it is one of the components of the government’s aid package for fishermen who also get diesel and gasoline fuel subsidies as well as incentives of fish landing (pendaratan ikan).
Meanwhile, most of fishermen expressed their gratitude for the initiative from the government to assist the group. “We are grateful for the government’s initiative in looking after our wellbeing as fishermen in this area, especially on the efforts of LKIM and the Bruit Fishermen Association who are always concerned about our lives here.
“This aid can also ease our burden especially daily needs, children’s education expenses and repair of fishing equipment,” said one of the recipients when speaking to reporters. Al so present were Mukah Resident Joharie Awang Mostapha, Daro Di st r ict Of f icer Abang Mohamad Abang Turkey, Director of Sarawak LKIM Kusuadi Salleh, Head of Fisheries Department Daro District Siti Afiradiza Osman and community leaders.
