KUCHING: Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah aims to organise more outreach programmes in mother and child health clinics to improve the applications of Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) to 90 per cent.
She said that from Jan 1 to Feb 28 this year, the application percentage was at 66 per cent with a total of 5,598 Sarawak born with the ‘K’ status and a total of 3,687 EFS applicants.
“Currently the statistics on the application of the endowment fund from Jan 1 to Feb 28 reveal Kuching with the highest at 1,046 applications.
“However, in terms of the application percentage Samarahan is the highest at 576 per cent which is due to the applicants giving birth in another district when applying for the EFS and returning to their hometown which is located in another district,” she said.
Adding further, she believed that the 90 per cent is achievable after EFS achieved a record of 85 per cent of applications in 2020.
She added that the EFS statistics are based on the applicant’s location when applying for the endowment fund.
She said this in a press conference on Jawantankuasa EFS Bil 1 at Baitulmakmur II here yesterday (March 30).
Meanwhile, she is hopeful that the increase in numbers can be achieved through the ministry’s planned outreach programmes.
Following that, Fatimah also said that the total Endowment Fund Sarawak which has been approved including applications is currently at 5,089.
The EPS applications which are still low are in Bintulu, Sarikei, Sri Aman, Sibu and Kuching.
EFS, which was introduced in 2019, aims to help Sarawak’s children to prepare for further studies, start a career or start a small business capital.
Also present at the press conference was Deputy Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Rosey Yunus and the ministry’s permanent secretary Noriah Ahmad and ministry deputy permanent secretary Nur Alina Abdullah@Colliner Gohe
