TAWAU: Sabah recorded government aid amounting to RM108.5 million involving a total of 68,812 recipients from Social Welfare Department (JKM) up to April this year, said Sabah Welfare Services Department (JPKA) Director Jais Asri.
Effective January 1, this year, he said eligibility requirements to apply for JKM’s monthly aid had been using the National Poverty Line Food Income Per Capita Year 2022 (New) at RM1,198.00 or RM322.00 per capita.
Therefore, JKM statistics showed there were 543,811 aid recipients last year, involving an allocation RM2,535,250,293, Jais said when officiating a State-level Empowerment and Mind Transformation Programme of JKM Aid Beneficiaries (PT-Minda JKM) 2024 at Wisma Kustam, here, last Saturday.
The text of his speech was read by the Deputy Director (Federal), Roshayati Omar.
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Jais said one of the objectives of organising the JKM PT-Minda Programme is to improve the knowledge and parenting skills of productive JKM aid recipients, especially JKM Children’s Scheme (BKK) recipients.
“This programme also aims to enhance awareness among productive JKM aid recipients about family responsibilities and poverty should not be inherited.
Therefore, he said, the Department does its best to help welfare recipients towards independent living, not depending on help forever by empowering clients to continue their own lives through the PT-Minda JKM programme.
“I hope this programme can render awareness to aid recipients to improve their living standards and lift them out of poverty as well as exposing them to information and knowledge about the responsibilities of family members,” Jais said.
He said the programme was a collaboration between JKM and the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) which began in 2022.
He said PT-Minda JKM aimed to motivate and improve parenting knowledge and skills including personal financial management of JKM aid recipients.
“PT-Minda JKM provides a chance for the participants to further increase their knowledge, to give positive parenting skills and educating them about family financial management shared by LPPKN and JKM’s Psychology and Counselling Division.
“Emphasis is also given on the ‘Poverty Should Not Be Inherited’ approach and education needs to be emphasised for the children of aid recipients,” Jais said.
He hoped the cooperation between JKM and LPPKN would continue in the future for the benefit of the target groups of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
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