DEBAK: Clients of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) in the state are lucky because ahead of every major festival they celebrate, the Sarawak government provides additional assistance under the Sejambak Kasih initiative.
Deputy Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Mohammad Razi Sitam said, interestingly, this aid programme is only implemented in Sarawak.
According to him, the additional RM100 received ahead of the festivals can ease the burden of aid recipients.
“Thus, we in Sarawak are very lucky to be administered by a government that cares about the plight of the people.
“Under the Sejambak Kasih initiative, Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia that for the first time holds a programme to hand over additional aid to JKM clients, ahead of every major festival such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and Gawai Dayak,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the Gawai Love Bouquet Ceremony 2023 at Rumah Panjang Kamarau, Munggu Prin near here, yesterday.
He explained that with the celebration of Gawai Dayak less than a week away, a total of 2,068 JKM clients in Betong Division received cash donations, which totalled RM206,800.
For clients who were not invited to the ceremony today (yesterday), donations will be credited to their respective accounts.
The Saribas assemblyman added that funds amounting to RM112,000 were also distributed to all Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) in Saribas constituency to help them organise appropriate activities.
Touching on the Changgan Drought Harvest application to build a public toilet, Razi informed that it will be included in the list of Rural Transformation Projects (RTP) under the Longhouse Infrastructure Development.
He reminded all agencies and JKKK to take care of their respective assets to avoid the loss of property.
Representative of Sarawak JKM director Harry Silas Tirau, Betong District Officer representative Nazari Bujang and Betong Division Social Welfare officer Abdul Shamat Kassim were also present.
