KUCHING: Budget 2022 is welfare oriented as it benefits every client under the Social Welfare Department (JKM), said Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister said the budget not only helped the needy and less fortunate in Sarawak but also the whole of Malaysia.
“When announcing the Budget recently, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said financial aid would be given based on the 2019 poverty line which was RM1,169 and below.
“This policy change is very significant to Malaysians who are in need and I welcome this decision as it will have a very big impact in Sarawak,” she said during the Majlis Sejambak Kasih Deepavali 2021 at Imperial Hotel on Monday (Nov 1).
Fatimah revealed that currently, there were 52,025 recipients of monthly assistance in Sarawak.
“As Budget 2022 will be implemented next year, we can now increase the number of people who need assistance,” she added.
Fatimah also commended the government in preparing RM25 million for Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia in its effort to protect the welfare, education and future of orphans.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are children who are orphaned. These are the children we want to help because if not us, then who else?
“With the policy provided by the government as well as concern from our society, I believe that the orphans will not be marginalised,” she said.
Commenting on the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM), she hoped that more would be aided under the assistance.
“However, we need to see what are the other conditions for the people to be eligible for this assistance so that our ministry will be able to implement it.
Fatimah also welcomed the support system of creating nurseries in the workplace. She said working parents would need this support system to ensure the safety and quality of their children’s education.
