Fatimah always guides and helps her team in creating new ideas on ways to revamp the services related to community’s welfare and well-being, says Noriah.
FOR the Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Ministry and particularly, the Welfare Department, no issue affecting the wellbeing of Sarawakians is too small and are left untackled.
“There is no issue of ‘no action taken’ by the minister (Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah), or the ministry itself. It is just a matter of continuing to fight for rights or other issues. She (Fatimah) always guides and helps us in creating new ideas on ways to revamp our services,” Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad said.
She described Fatimah as ‘a very energetic and hardworking minister’, who had worked hard since the ministry began operations in January 2012 as ‘Ministry of Welfare, Women and Family Development’.
In an interview in connection with Fatimah’s 100 days in office following Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s landslide victory in the state polls last year, Noriah said lots of effort had been made to mitigate ongoing social issues, especially those related to her department’s responsibilities.
However, she hoped that her department would get more manpower in order to help enhance the delivery of the department’s services to the public.
Photo taken in January shows Fatimah accepting a memento from Cerebral Palsy Associations of Kuching and Samarahan Divisions president Chi Poh Yung after the opening ceremony of the ‘OKU Empowerment Workshop’ in Kuching. Looking on, at left, is Noriah.
“Lacking manpower, it’s very difficult for us to serve those in the rural areas.
“For now, we cannot afford to put our staff at every district and people need to come to our divisional offices to obtain services,” she said, revealing that her department was being revamped.
That said, Noriah pointed out that under Fatimah’s supervision, various programmes had been and would continue to be implemented to safeguard the interests and well-being of the people, especially in facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It shows that continued efforts to ensure the stability of well-being are always on the peak of this minister’s preferences. Of course, a period of 100 days is not sufficient to gauge overall performance, but she has done what’s the best for the sake of well-being of society.
“If you wanted me to rate, of course she did well for our department; always coming up with new ideas to ensure that our department could really meet with new high standard of demands,” she said.
Noriah listed the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) initiative, the Death Compassionate Assistance (BIK), special aid for kidney patients, Dalat Welfare Complex project, Rumah Seri Kenangan Sibu (old folks’ home) project, and empowerment of those with specific needs (OKUs), as among the accomplishments and impact achieved by the ministry.
Noriah believes that with respect to the 100-day target, people just want the ministers to perform well.
She said as at February this year, there were 330 strategic partners and 267,172 applications received for the KGC since its introduction in January 2020.
“The BIK is one of the benefits listed under the Kenyalang Gold Card. It is only for the next-of-kin of eligible cardholders who had passed away. As at February this year, 6,485 applications for the BIK had been approved, with total payout amount of RM19,455.000,” she said.
As for the special aid meant for those suffering from kidney problems, Noriah described it as an initiative meant to alleviate the financial burden of these patients.
“The aid would not be paid to the patients, but would be credited directly to the dialysis centres or service providers. The assistance is subject to review after a year, which would take into account the situation development and a year-end report.
“In 2021, 111 applications for this assistance were approved, with total amount of RM1,983,076,” she said.
Fatimah presenting ‘angpow’ to a recipient of JKM monthly aid at Dewan Sungai Maong in Kuching, in this photo taken during a Chinese New Year 2022 event late January. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
The RM15 million Dalat Welfare Complex project was approved by the state government in order to provide better facilities to those in Dalat state constituency, where Fatimah is the assemblywoman, said Noriah.
“The components comprise the Welfare Office, senior citizens activities centre (Pawe), community-based rehabilitation centre (PPDK), a children’s nursery and an activities centre for older children.
“The purpose behind integrating the Welfare Office with other relevant bodies was to inculcate positive values such as being caring and having empathy. It also will create inter-generation interactions between the old and the young, as well as between the able-bodied and the disabled.
“By having this multi-purpose healthy environment building, hopefully it would help those who are in need of excellent welfare services,” she said.
As for the construction of Rumah Seri Kenangan Sibu (Phase 2), Noriah said the works should reach completion before the end of this September.
Photo taken last month shows Fatimah joining others in harvesting ‘bak choy’ at Miri Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (POKUFM)’s mini hydroponic farm in Piasau Camp.
“The construction of Phase 2, worth RM27 million, is meant to provide a bigger, more comfortable and more conducive living environment to the elderly residents, especially those who are from the central region,” she said.
On OKU empowerment, Noriah said the Sarawak government had approved a special allocation of RM1 million in 2021 (under the 12th Malaysia Plan) to upgrade the ‘Bengkel Seri Sarawak’ (BSS), a training centre under the supervision of JKM Sarawak.
“The allocation would be used for upgrading the structure, facilities and also for the purpose of research. This centre would focus on the producing rehabilitative aid for OKUs.
“The state government is constantly making efforts meant to build a caring society so that no one is left out, including the OKUs.
“It would also provide job opportunities for them, besides allowing them to gain technical knowledge.
“This project is estimated to reach completion in 2025, and hopefully, the BSS would become an OKU centre of excellence that is more progressive and modern, apart from paving a way towards a brighter future,” added Noriah.
Fatimah and her husband, Datu Dr Adi Badiozaman Tuah.
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