Dr Abdul Rahman (third right) and Henry (second right) jointly hand over the goodies to the recipients.
BAU: A total of 28,247 Dayak welfare recipients will receive RM100 pocket money each from the state government for this Gawai festive season.
Assistant Minister for Welfare and Community Wellbeing Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said in addition to the ‘duit Gawai’ (cash gift), the recipients are also receiving hampers under the Gawai Dayak Sejambak Kasih programme in order to reduce their financial expenses for the festivity.
“The 28,247 recipients comprise 50 per cent of the total 56,319 registered welfare recipients in Sarawak. They are receiving RM100 in addition to the monthly assistance disbursed by the Welfare Department. Those whom are Malay and Chinese will also receive their ‘duit raya’ and ‘angpau’ during Hari Raya and Chinese New Year.
“Where else can you find this? Only in Sarawak and for this we thank our Tok Nan (Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem),” he said, when officiating the Gawai Dayak Sejambak
Kasih programme at Singai Sports and Recreation Club hall, at Kampung Sudoh near here yesterday.
Yesterday’s event saw the presentation of Gawai goodies to 200 recipients from Tasik Biru constituency. Dr Abdul Rahman also said that the money would be deposited to the account of those who could not make it to the function.
He went on to say that Gawai Dayak Sejambak Kasih programme was among the programmes inspired by Adenan’s people-centric policies, meant to reduce the burden of welfare assistance recipients registered under the Welfare Department.
On a related matter, Dr Abdul Rahman – who won Bukit Kota seat uncontested – said Barisan Nasional also thanked all voters in Sarawak especially those in the rural areas for giving BN a landslide victory by winning 72 out of the 82 seats in the recent state election.
“The opposition went on the offensive even in rural areas this election. But the results had proven that they are only ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’ (not walking the talk). Instead, the people chose BN because the Tok Nan (Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) really walked the talk for the sake of the people,” he said.
On Tasik Biru, he believed this Bidayuh-majority constituency would be better developed under its new assemblyman Dato Henry Henry Jinep, and he was also confident that Henry would make a good BN backbencher once the next State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting commences on June 7.
“He (Henry) had made the move from the corporate world, to this world of serving the people as their elected representative. As a YB (elected representative), there is a much bigger role for him to play. But I believe Dato Henry has what it takes to bring greater development to Tasik Biru.
“I think he is also ready for the ‘battle’ at the DUN at its next sitting from June 7 to 15,” he said when officiating at the Gawai Dayak Sejambak Kasih programme at Singai Sports and Recreation Club hall, at Kampung Sudoh near here yesterday.
Henry, who was a successful and award-winning entrepreneur prior to entering active politics, was a new face introduced by Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) in the recent state election.
He retained the Tasik Biru seat for BN after defeating his sole opponent Mordi Bimol from DAP by 1,288 vote-majority.