The Ministry of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing will be submitting a proposal to the state cabinet for the revision of assistance rates for disaster victims in the next cabinet meeting.

Its minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said it was crucial for the current rates to be revised in view of price increase in many items particularly daily necessities.

“We have to review the rates and increase them because things are getting more expensive.

“Once the proposal has been approved by the cabinet, the new rates will be channeled to victims of disasters such as flood, landslides, fire and so on,” she told a press conference at her office here yesterday.

She said the rates were RM150 for one week of food allowance and RM100 for kitchenware per family and pocket money of RM40 per person.

“There are also assistance for clothing at RM70 per person, school uniform (RM70), school supplies (RM50) and building materials at RM2,500 per family.”

Earlier, Fatimah received a contribution of RM10,000 from Welfare Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) which will be donated to the fire victims of Rumah Jalak at Tanjung Penasu, Jalan Bukit Aup in Sibu

The contribution was handed over by a Bakti representative Datin Seri Feona, who is the wife of Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

“We are very grateful to Datin Seri Feona for bringing up this matter to Bakti and through her efforts, the victims will receive this contribution,” said Fatimah, who received the funds on behalf of the state government.

She added that prior to this, the victims had also received assistance from the Welfare Department, corporate bodies and associations.

On the fire incident which occurred on July 12, Fatimah said the Welfare Department had handed over assistance amounting to RM143,980 to the fire victims which involved 263 people from 39 households.

Meanwhile, Feona hoped the contribution would be able to assist the victims to purchase their daily necessities such as pillows and blankets.

An officer from the Welfare Department Mordiah Sulaiman was also present at the function.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Marilyn Ten

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