KUCHING: Anyone with information on people who need assistance can inform the Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry.
Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the state government recognised that despite all the Covid-19 related stimulus packages and assistance provided, there were some individuals who had been overlooked unintentionally.
“In this respect, the government welcomes information on those who need help so that relevant assistance can be given to them,” she said in a statement.
Fatimah was responding to Sarawak Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Dr Madeline Berma’s remarks in an online news portal on May 24 concerning stateless indigenous groups being the most affected and needed the greatest assistance during the movement control order (MCO) and the ensuing conditional MCO.
“To cushion this impact, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced three Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance packages.
“One of the packages amounting to RM1.15bln announced on March 23 includes 16 measures to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
“On March 30, an additional RM16.4mln was added to this RM1.15bln for the provision of food assistance to the poor in rural and urban areas,” Fatimah explained.
“As such, a total of 380,887 beneficiaries, comprising households in the rural and remote areas, urban poor, homeless and those who had lost their jobs and without income due to the MCO and CMCO, have received food aid, irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, including the indigenous people without citizenship status in Sarawak,” she added.
Intense efforts were made by the Divisional and District Management Disaster Committees (DDMC) to reach out to the indigenous people, even to the remote areas of Telang Usan, Murum, Mulu, Batang Ai, Meluan, Pakan, Engkilili and Balai Ringin, Fatimah said.
“Food was transported by means of helicopter services based on planned schedules and subject to weather conditions.
“Thus, some areas received their food aid earlier while others received theirs later. However, all distribution was completed by April 25,” she said, adding that the relevant non-government organisations (NGOs) were also engaged in this process.
Besides the Sarawakku Sayang Food Aid programme and the federal funded special assistance for B40 household and food aid programme under the Covid-19 assistance fund, the minister said there were also some food assistance contributed by the ADUN and MP Service Centres, private sector, caring NGOs and kind individuals.
“This helps to ensure that there is food on the table despite all the challenges due to MCO and CMCO.
“Our ministry recognises the good work and efforts made by the NGOs for the needy in Sarawak before and during the MCO and CMCO periods,” she said, adding that on May 22, grants amounting to RM 1.3mln were thus given to 125 NGOs to ensure their sustainability in carrying out their advocacy works to their targeted groups.
She pointed out that the police had given assurance that there would not be an issue for those who needed to seek medical treatment due to the inter-district and 10km restrictions imposed under the MCO and CMCO.
“The communities living in the interior can go to the nearest hospital irrespective of distance. The inconvenience and hardships brought about MCO and CMCO is inevitable.
“Malaysians’ strict compliance to this ruling, including those living in the interior, has earned Malaysia a worldwide recognition for successfully flattening the curve of the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic,” stressed Fatimah.
