SIBU: A total of 183 needy families here are set to benefit from the special caring programme of food basket distribution initiated by Sibu MP Oscar Ling Chai Yew’s Service Centre in conjunction with the upcoming Christmas season.
Ling shared that his service centre is currently collaborating with all 19 Methodist churches in Sibu to identify and submit name lists of the targeted group.
During the handover ceremony at Bisonte Grocer & Deli, Jalan Kuda on Tuesday (Dec 19), he told the media that this initiative aims to support genuine poor families.
Regarding the database for the impoverished families, Ling highlighted that the name list obtained from the Social Welfare Department is not up to date.
He acknowledged the challenges in obtaining a complete and accurate database, stating, “This time we are working with the Methodist churches to ensure that the target group is reached, focusing on the genuinely poor families.”
As this programme is a pioneering effort, Ling expressed the intention to evaluate its effectiveness. “We will assess how impactful and targeted it is for the poor families. In the future, we will consider collaborating with other churches.”
Ling stressed the valuable role of church social welfare groups in reaching out to the ground and addressing problems in their areas, a taskforce that the Social Welfare Department lacks.
Highlighting the absence of social workers in the national social welfare system, he expressed hope for an upgrade. “We hope the government will upgrade the entire social welfare system to incorporate social workers. They can then go down to the ground to assist those genuinely in need.”
Ling mentioned that the matter has been discussed in parliament, and a special committee meeting last month focused on evaluating the social welfare system in Malaysia to identify areas for improvement, aiming for a more holistic approach to helping those in genuine need.
