KUCHING: The government remains focused on strengthening the nation’s social safety net and building a more inclusive care ecosystem under Budget 2026, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She said her ministry (KPWKM) has been allocated RM4.187 billion under the national budget to enhance welfare programmes and social support systems across the country.
“Of this amount, RM3.1 billion is allocated for welfare aid benefiting over 560,000 recipients, including senior citizens, children, and persons with disabilities (PwDs).
“And this year, we also launched the Malaysia Care Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2026 to 2030, which will be our main focus next year.
“This plan aims to build an inclusive care ecosystem, from infants to senior citizens, and from family caregivers to professional carers,” she said.
She said this during the Sarawak Media Night organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA), at a hotel on Sunday night.
Apart from strengthening the care sector, she added that KPWKM remains focused on empowering women as the backbone of family and community development.
“For women, various initiatives are being implemented under the National Women’s Policy and the Women’s Development Action Plan, which is currently being finalised.
“Among these initiatives is the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship Programme (PERANTIS), which mentored over 1,200 participants last year with guidance from prominent women leaders.
“The programme aims to achieve at least 30 per cent representation of women in leadership roles, a target currently met only in the public sector,” she added.
Earlier, Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA) President, Ronnie Teo Teck Wei, said that while the public sector has surpassed the 30 per cent quota for women in decision-making roles, corporate and private sectors remain behind.
“This disparity represents a loss of unique perspectives at the highest levels of governance and business, and this is where the media has a role to play because media coverage shapes perception,” he said.
He added that if the private sector is to meet and even exceed the 30 per cent goal, the media must actively shift the narrative.
“We need to challenge stereotypes, and move beyond outdated portrayals of women in leadership,” he urged.
“We need to amplify success, and consistently highlight achievements and contributions of female leaders, making them visible role models.”
