Striving to eradicate extreme poverty in Sabah
Published on: Tuesday, August 06, 2024
By: Mardinah Jikur
Azman (left) presenting the Prime Minister’s One-Off donation to one of the children with special needs in Kinabatangan who is accompanied by the child’s mother (right). Looking on is Mohd Ismail (centre).
KINABATANGAN: The Madani Government will always strive to eradicate extreme poverty in Sabah like how it has been achieved in Perak this year.
Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, Datuk Azman Abidin, said the effort was implemented by the government through a programme to eradicate poverty that was designed to help the target group.
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He said, in this regard, representatives of the people and local state leaders should also continue to play an important role in ensuring that the people involved are able to get out of the list of extreme poor.
“This is by ensuring that whatever assistance is given to the people reaches them in the best possible way,” he said after officiating the Prime Minister’s One-Off Donation Presentation Ceremony and the Madani Friendly Programme with Special and Needy Children of Kinabatangan at Dewan Sri Lamag on Monday.
Among the 205 recipients included house to house visits, the Kinabatangan Muslimah Association, the Single Mother Association, the Community Rehabilitation Centre (PPDK) @ OKU Kinabatangan, students from the Integrated Special Education Program (PPKI) of Bukit Garam II and students of PPKI SK Bukit Garam II, Kinabatangan.
Also present were Kajang Assemblyman who is also a member of the Central Leadership Council (MPP) of PKR, David Cheong Kian Young, Special Officer to the Chief Minister who is also the Chairman of the Miha Community Service Unit (UKMM), Mohd Ismail Ayob; Chairman of Felcra Niaga, Datuk Sangkar Rasam; Head of PKR Lamag Division, Datu Azmi Datu Tambuyung and Kinabatangan District Education Officer, Dr Dalmansa Tahil.
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The gift was presented for the first time in Sabah and the fourth in the whole country this year.
Azman said the Prime Minister also prioritised helping the development of Sabah by increasing the budget allocation worth RM16 billion compared to RM13 billion before.
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Earlier, Datu Azmi expressed his appreciation for the concern of the Prime Minister who greeted the recipient in Kinabatangan through his representative at the event.
He said Kinabatangan, a district as large as Pahang, still needs a lot of development and hoped that Putrajaya would also continue to help the development of this district along with the continuous efforts of the State Government.
Meanwhile, Mohd Ismail also expressed his appreciation for the contribution from the Prime Minister to help the recipients in Kinabatangan.
He said the establishment of UKMM on his initiative over the past few years also wanted to help residents who needed related assistance.
In the development of Kinabatangan, he said, the district still has a lot of infrastructure that the community needs, including a mini sports complex for the use of local residents, including school students to practise and do leisure activities.
“In addition, we also need specialists at Kinabatangan Hospital who will help patients without having to be referred to hospitals in nearby districts,” he said.
Azman said he would try to bring these needs to the Prime Minister.
He also saw the need to repair Dewan Sri Lamag, which had been built for 30 years, including the roof and the urgent facilities that the people of Kinabatangan needed as the people had voiced to Azmi and Mohd Ismail.
In the meantime, the parents of a student recipient expressed their gratitude. Burhanuddin Bin Abdul Jamil, 43, is happy because the government had helped children with special needs a lot.
This includes his daughter, 12, who has hearing problems and is a slow learner at PPKI SK Bukit Garam II, Kinabatangan.
He hoped similar contributions from the Prime Minister would continue in the future to help those in need.
A mother, Etuwa Mohd Amin, 42, from Kampung Berjaya 2, Kinabatangan who has a four-year-old son with special needs, was grateful for his son’s sustenance.
He said the aid helps some extent in terms of purchasing disposable diapers and the daily milk that his son needs.
“I am thankful because the government never forgets the needs of special children and is always there for them,” she added.
She also hoped the aid would be continued and improved so that no target group would be left out of receiving the same aid.
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