HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR: Chief Minister’s wife Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib (second left), who is the president of Sabati, presents an ‘angpow’ to one of the residents of Rumah Seri Kenangan in Kuching, who are now temporarily putting up at the Samarahan Rehabilitation Centre. Sabati is an association for wives of ministers and assistant ministers. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Residents of Rumah Seri Kenangan a home for the aged in Kuching have been temporarily put up at the Samarahan Rehabilitation Centre here while their premises at KM20 Jalan Kuching-Serian is being rebuilt.
According to state Social Welfare director Noriah Ahmad, the RM12 million-reconstruction work commenced in December last year and would be completed in 2015.
Some of the Kuching residents have also been placed in Sibu.
“There are 62 residents being housed here and the remaining 14 in Sibu,” she said when hosting a VVIP visit for the Chief Minister’s wife Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib, who is the president of Sabati.
THANK YOU: Ragad (centre) receives a bouquet of flowers from Noriah as an appreciation of thanks for her visit. — Photo by Chimon Upon
Also present were RSK Kuching Board chairman Mariam Dawood and RSK Kuching principal Saptuyah Sazali.
Sabati is an association for wives of ministers and assistant ministers. Sabati also paid a visit in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration.
RSK Kuching catered for the elderly 60 years and above.
The residents comprised the elderly who are poor, destitute, with no next of kin, abandoned, neglected and victims of domestic violence or broken homes.
It was established for the sole purpose of providing care and protection for the disadvantaged senior citizens so that they could spend their remaining years of their life in a friendly and caring environment rather than in solitude and neglect.
Besides serving as a home for senior citizens, RSK Kuching is also gazetted as a place of safety and refuge for women and girls under the Child Act 2001 and the Domestic Violence Act 1984 as well as remand centre for beggars and vagabonds under the Destitute Persons Act 1977.
Among the services provided at the home include care and protection, free food, accommodation, guidance, counselling and individual and group therapy to resolve personal needs and problems.
Other services include medical treatment, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and recreational and religious activities.
Earlier, Ragad and Sabati members visited the Association for the Welfare of Intellectually Disabled Children’s (Perkata) school to give festive cheers to 136 children there.