Fatimah sets vision and ideals for Rumah Seri Kenangan

Fatimah (centre) witnesses the handover of RSK Kuching from Zuraimi to Noriah (second left) as others look on.

KUCHING (June 1): Institutionalisation should be the last resort for children or senior citizens, said Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

“Whether children or senior citizens, the institution should be the last resort for them. Children are best taken care of by their parents and nurtured by their family, if possible.

“Likewise, for our senior citizens, the last years of their lives should be spent in their family circle. But we know in this world, there are individuals who are alone and without family or kin.

“So the last resort would be an institution like Rumah Seri Kenangan (RSK),” she remarked at the handover of RSK Kuching project site yesterday.

However, Fatimah advised that RSK should not be just an institution but something that feels like a ‘Shangri-la’ for seniors.

“That was the concept that we wanted to put into the complex. We want the senior citizens placed in RSK to have a dignified existence.

“We must treat them right, and the environment must be right,” she said.

The minister also requested the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak to take a step further in their corporate social responsibility by fixing air conditioner units in the new multi-purpose hall.

“Activities planned in the hall include festive celebrations with the residents. It will be the centre of activities. Visitors will also be brought here for programmes that we organise,” she explained.

Fatimah revealed that admission criteria to RSK include those who are poor and aged 60 years and above, not suffering from any infectious diseases, have no family or guardian, without a permanent place of residence, and without ability to take care of themselves during the time of entry.

“When we planned for this complex, we planned for it to be like one’s own home, with facilities that make residents feel at home and living within a community even though it is inside the complex,” she said.

Some of the facilities are the music workshop, gym, mini theatre, coffee shop, souvenir shop, mini library, salon and sewing workshop.

The construction of RSK Kuching is divided into two phases on a land area of 25.37 acres. The project, which was planned since 2012, costs around RM35.9 million.

It was a collaboration between the ministry and state Welfare Department together with agencies such as JKR Sarawak, Department of Irrigation and Drainage Sarawak, Padawan Municipal Council, State Financial Secretary, State Implementation Monitoring Unit, Land and Survey Department Sarawak, Fire and Rescue Department, Kuching Resident’s Office and Kuching District Office.

Also present at the event were Fatimah’s deputy ministers Datuk Rosey Yunus and Mohammad Razi Sitam, state Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad and JKR Sarawak director Datu Zuraimi Sabki.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3PSTbP6
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