PASIR PUTEH: The federal government has allocated RM20.9 million to provide financial aid to 7,700 single mothers in Kelantan for their children’s education.Kelantan Social Welfare Department director Mohd Noor Chik said each single mother would receive between RM100 and RM450 a month from September last year.
“The financial aid is to reduce the burden of single mothers, especially some who have to look after 5 to 9 children,” he told reporters after closing a motivational seminar attended by 77 single mothers from Machang and Kuala Krai yesterday.
He added that the aid would help single mothers to plan their expenditure accordingly, especially in providing the necessary needs for their children’s education when school reopen.
Mohd Noor said single mothers are also encouraged to venture into small and medium businesses in groups of five or more, to enhance their income, with an allocation of RM20,000 provided by the department.
He added that the federal government through the department had also allocated RM65 million to provide financial aid to 22,000 people with disabilities, senior citizens, bedridden and hardcore poor.
Eligibility for such aid include those who are not earning more than RM720 a month, have five or more children and do not receive any financial aid from their relatives or other sources, he said.
Meanwhile, the department’s deputy director Che Osman Che Mat said the department was currently compiling data, information and assessing loses suffered by the people and infrastructure, during the recent floods.
He added that the task was being undertaken by the department, the Agriculture Department and the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.
“We expect the details soon and hope to carry out remedy works from January to March,” he told reporters when met yesterday. — Bernama