Sabah Govt improving Food Basket Assistance

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government is currently in the process of improving the Food Basket Assistance to ensure that the programme can truly help the people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

State Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Shahelmy Yahya (pic) said the distribution mechanism was essential to ensure that the distribution process can be carried out quickly and smoothly.

He said they were trying to establish distribution centres, especially in high-risk areas.

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“The contents of the food basket will also be modified to include baby milk or Nestum cereal according to the needs or suitability of the recipients in the area,” he said, Thursday. 

On Wednesday, State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun was reported to have said the State Government had in principle agreed to extend the Food Basket Assistance to all those affected and not just for those under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (Emco) or ordered to observe quarantine.

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It also reported the feedback from the people asking the State Government to improve the food basket programme to ensure aid can reach the people as a whole.

Shahelmy said non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate sectors, political parties or individuals who wanted to contribute to the Food Basket Assistance programme were asked to contact the Disaster Operations Control Centre (PKOB) of the districts involved.

He said RM100 has been set as the basic price guideline for each food basket, but the real price will be decided by the PKOB according to their districts.