BY MUHD USMAN DANIAL
KUCHING: A total of 14 recipients received equipment assistance, worth RM70,000, under the Sejahtera MADANI Programme: Income Enhancement – Equipment Assistance.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister and Santubong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the aid was tailored according to the recipients’ respective occupations and needs.
“Make the best possible use of this equipment. Improve your skills, maintain the quality of your services and continue working towards increasing your income.
“It is my sincere hope that this assistance will serve as a starting point for greater change, enabling the recipients to continue progressing, become self-reliant and improve their families’ quality of life,” she said.
She said this when met by reporters after officiating at the Sejahtera MADANI Programme: Income Enhancement – Equipment Assistance at the Pasir Pandak Multipurpose Hall here today.
The programme, implemented by the Sarawak State Development Office under the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU JPM), focuses on providing equipment assistance to eKasih households based on their occupations and economic activities.
The recipients comprised automotive mechanics, fishermen, tailors, barbers, traders and domestic service delivery riders.
“The diverse occupational backgrounds of the recipients show that efforts to increase people’s income require approaches suited to their respective skills and needs.
“Assistance such as this can help them focus on becoming entrepreneurs, at least within their villages initially, while at the same time learning how to further increase their income,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nancy said the initiative was in line with the Community Development and People’s Wellbeing pillar, one of the focus areas of the P.193 Santubong Parliamentary Office in assisting local communities.
She also encouraged recipients to make use of the resources and economic opportunities available in their respective areas, including developing products based on local produce.
A total allocation of RM515,000 has been utilised to provide equipment assistance to recipients in several districts within the Kuching Zone.
At the state level, RM1.49 million has been allocated for equipment assistance to households registered under the eKasih system throughout Sarawak.
“Make full use of this assistance as capital to further develop your respective livelihoods,” she said.
Also present were Sarawak State Development Office deputy director Aziba Rashidi, Kuching Division Deputy Resident Lim Hock Meng and Kampung Pasir Pandak community leader Nazeri Idi.
