KUCHING: Friendly Neighbourhood (Kejiranan Mesra, or KJM) is the best platform to approach the community, said Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Syed Aman Ghazali.
The Semariang assemblywoman, who is also the deputy minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations), asserted that community involvement is essential to maintaining the neighbourhood’s cleanliness, beauty, and safety.
She then called on KJM to persist in utilising the existing platform to provide support and assistance to the community.
In light of this, she said an additional grant would be allocated to each of the 12 KJM in the Samariang constituency to organise community-based programmes.
“Actually, I am giving a grant to KJM. It will be channelled soon, as it is still in the pipeline. I feel like it is necessary for KJM to assist me in serving the community.
“If we were to go on the ground through KJM as a platform with the support of Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), we could carry out many activities for the community and society,” she said.
She said this when officiating at the bubur pedas distribution programme held at Masjid Darul Nur Hasanah in Taman Sourabaya Indah here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Sharifah Hasidah pointed out that the grant will not cover physical development, which will be handled by the Sarawak government.
She expressed confidence in the Sarawak government’s ability to handle physical development projects, including building facilities such as mosques, suraus, churches, and roads.
And despite occasional delays, she assured that the implementation would still proceed.
She further said that the grant’s purpose is to focus on developing the communities in the Samariang constituency.
“We (the government of Sarawak) do all sorts of things. From a physical development standpoint, there is no problem.
“However, we also need to develop our society, especially in housing areas like this. That is why entities such as KJM plays a crucial role in achieving a developed nation by 2030.
“It is not only about physical development but also being civilised,” she stressed.
During the event, a mock cheque worth RM5,000 was handed over to Semariang JKM, as well as food basket assistance to 20 asnaf (needy individuals) of the constituency.
The bubur pedas distribution programme was organised by the KJM and DBKU, in collaboration with the Sarawak State Mosque Welfare Trust Board (LAKMNS), Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS), Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), Malaysia Building Society Berhad (MBSB), National Consumer Action Council (MTPN), Nestle Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd (Maggi), Adabi Consumer Industries Sdn Bhd (Adabi), and Samariang Constituency Service Centre.
Also present were DBKU mayor Datuk Junaidi Reduan and DBKU deputy director of Community Service Department Rudzaimeir Malek.
For the record, there are 12 KJM in Samariang constituency namely Kampung Lintang, Kampung Tunku, Taman Sourabaya Indah, Kampung Malaysia Jaya, Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar, Kampung Sungai Midin, Kampung Samariang Batu, Kampung Samariang Pinggir and Samariang Lama, Kampung Samariang Baru Fasa 3, Kampung Samariang Jaya Fasa 2, Kampung Siol Kandis and Taman Sukma.
