BETONG: Some of the more able-bodied recipients of state welfare can take up modern precision farming to increase their incomes.
Making the suggestion on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said they could take up hydroponic farming, for instance, which uses light technology and is not labour extensive.
He said this after presenting hampers and cash assistance to 150 recipients of the state Welfare Department monthly assistance for the coming Gawai Dayak and Hari Raya celebrations here.
Accompanied by the Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, he also presented the State Endowment Fund and PBB Sayang Squad hampers to the others.
Uggah, who is also the Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said his ministry together with Fatimah’s ministry could work together to help market produce from the farms.
“We can increase their incomes by buying all their produce such as vegetables and fruits, and cakes and biscuits.
“By doing so we hope they will one day stop needing welfare assistance and be able to fend for themselves,”
Uggah said livestock rearing might not be a viable option for them as it is more physical and require higher costs.
On the festive aid, he said it showed that the state GPS government knew of the plight of the recipients and was looking after them.
“The less fortunate are not a forgotten group as we have a ministry and a minister dedicated to look after them.
“During festive seasons they are given extra assistance on top of what they usually receive,” he said.
In her speech earlier, Fatimah said from January to April this year, the government had spent RM67.314 million on welfare assistance.
She said there were 30,750 recipients for the Gawai Dayak and 15,626 recipients for the Hari Raya festive seasons.
She said each recipient was given RM100 in cash and a food hamper worth RM50.
Meanwhile, on the Sarawak Endowment Fund which she described as uniquely Sarawakian, she urged parents to fill in the application forms when registering new births at their nearest offices of the National Registration Department.
“It is very important that the forms are submitted to the department,” she said.
She added each child receives RM1,000 deposited in his/her bank account in Bank Islam which offers 4.2 per cent interest rate per year.
Fatimah said the savings would be redeemable when a child is 18 years old to either finance his/her tertiary education or as a business start-up fund.
She said children born to Sarawakian parents outside the state or country would also be eligible. The parents just have to fill the forms.
She said from January until April 25, 2019, the National Registration Department had recorded some 11,508 births in the state and of the figure, 10,317 are Sarawakians.
“But only 5,070 of them or 49.14 per cent had registered for the fund, so we will join the National Registration Department in its roadshows statewide to publicise the fund. Now more applications are coming in,” she said.
