style="text-transform: uppercase;">Kota Kinabalu: Raya cheer came early for about 10 underprivileged households in Kg Tanjung Aru Baru when they received assistance in the form of daily essentials and financial aid from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission here, Wednesday. Among the recipients was 63-year-old widow, Suayah Nawi, who lives in a wooden house with 20 family members, including two daughters who are also widows.

"I am unemployed and I stay home to look after my grandchildren, while my children go out to look for income, doing odd jobs and working as contract labourers to make ends meet since their father passed away six years ago," she said.

"This assistance is a tremendous help to my family and we are grateful to MACC not only for the donation but for making the effort to visit our home," she said.

Another recipient, 52-year-old Aminah Bakir, who stays next door with her husband and eight children, one of them an epileptic, was grateful for the assistance.

"We are very happy for the assistance with can lessen our burden especially since my husband who used to work as a driver for a private company, can no longer work due to health reasons.

"We are lucky to have children who are working and able to put food on the table," said Aminah, who is originally from Membakut.

MACC Sabah Director Datuk Saharom Nizam Abdul Manap said this was the first time MACC Sabah had conducted such programme as part of their corporate social responsibility to the community.

He said Kg Tanjung Aru Baru was selected following a review which showed many villagers there are in need of assistance.

"We collected funds among our officers and also had assistance from two companies who agreed to donate essential items to the selected families," he explained when met at the event on Wednesday.

Saharom and his team went from house to house to distribute rice, sugar as well as an undisclosed amount of cash to the selected families.

"I was not expecting many of my officers to donate, because I am aware that they also need the cash for their Raya expenses, but the funds collected exceeded our initial target and this is something which I am very proud of," he said.

MACC Sabah also donated four units of ventilating fans to the village's Surau Al-Amin during the event which was attended by Kg Tanjung Aru Baru Village Security and Development Committee Chairman Matsah Sahat.

He said MACC Sabah will also adopt the village as its 'kampung angkat' and engage with the community through anti-corruption programmes.

"We have conducted three anti-corruption briefings in the State so far this year, the last was with a non-governmental organisation as well as a Chinese association in the city.

"We have also done 'turun padang' programmes in Tawau, Sandakan and collaborated with the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd roadshow, apart from conducting the 'integrity pledge' with government agencies and departments.

"Plans are also underway for more large scale programmes after Hari Raya, especially in conjunction with the international anti-corruption programme to be held in December in collaboration with the State government," he said.

On another note, he urged the people to channel information should they come across any corruption activity.