KUCHING: Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development (KWKPK) Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah suggested Social Welfare Department (JKM) organise a one-day programme to look into the needs and issues faced by the residents of squatters at Lorong Chawan 13 here.
“I will suggest the idea to the JKM so that we will be able to look into each household’s needs and issues such as having no identification document, aside from providing them with proper welfare assistance.
“When we do the programme later, we will include the National Registration Department and Health Department as an inter-agency effort.
“If needed, we will also invite the Land and Survey Department as well as the local council so that we can provide various services according to the needs of the local people,” she told reporters during her visit to the squatters in conjunction with the 2020 Kembara Prihatin Programme today.
She first learned about the squatters from a blind masseur known as Midah, an occupant of the squatters — whose income was affected due to the implementation of movement control order (MCO) to curb Covid-19 pandemic and since then, receiving monthly assistance from JKM.
Fatimah further said among the common problem faced by the 51 occupants living in the squatters is children without any identification document.
“This usually happens when the parents did not register the child after his or her birth. Secondly, it might also happen due to unorganised marriages especially involving foreign women, where the children will follow the nationality of their mother.
“This is the most complicated issue and will take time to solve. The children become victims because they cannot enjoy the same benefits enjoyed by Malaysian children including access to affordable education and healthcare,” she added.
For the long-term plan, she said the ministry will forward the issue of the squatters to the relevant agencies so that the occupants can be relocated to proper and affordable housing areas.
“I have requested the ministry’s acting permanent secretary Caroline Cleophas Joseph to forward a letter to the Land and Survey Department so that the issue can be solved. We will continue to work with the department to obtain advice on what can we do to solve the issue of squatters,” she stressed.
The same day also witnessed Fatimah visiting other needy’s homes around Kuching here to present food baskets and other aids to ease their burden.
On the poverty line in the state, Fatimah said it will show an increasing trend due to the federal government’s move to revise the figure of the household monthly income from RM1,500 to RM2,131.
“In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are affected as they lost their jobs and source of income. Therefore, all these will contribute to the poverty line but to know exactly how much it is, we would need to have a detailed study,” she pointed out.
She also mentioned that the state government is working on evidence-based data to assist in formulating accurate policies in the future to eradicate poverty and aid the needy.
