TBS helping poor on city outskirts with financial aid

0
Staff from TBS Miri and JPM Miri visiting the family of Seruji Rajaie on the riverbank of Kampung Pasir Lutong.

Staff from TBS Miri and JPM Miri visiting the family of Seruji Rajaie on the riverbank of Kampung Pasir Lutong.

MIRI: The hardship of an old Malay couple in Kampung Pasir Lutong has caught the attention of Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS) Miri branch.

Seruji Rajaie, 77, and his 57-year-old wife Aminah Otton have been living in the village for more than 30 years in a decrepit wooden house without electricity and clean water.

According to his wife who hailed from Kampung Bruit, Daro of Matu, her husband earns his keep as a fisherman in the village.

The childless couple stays in the house by the riverbank, with the only transportation mode to Seruji’s house by boat as there is no connecting road.

“My husband ekes out a living as a fisherman but his income is only enough to buy essential groceries. Since he has been ill due to old age, he has been unable to go fishing. We are very grateful for having caring neighbours who always help us by sharing their food,” she told media after receiving a group visit from TBS Miri and Malaysia Information Department (JPM) of Miri via a charity programme of identifying the poor for aid dubbed ‘Ziarah Asnaf’ programme yesterday.

On behalf of her husband, she thanked the TBS and JPM for bringing cheer to the family.

“We have not received any living assistance from the government before. The welfare assistance from TBS and JPM is the first help that we have received,” said Aminah.

The officer from TBS Miri, Sarbini Nayan said they will contribute a monthly assistance of RM416 to the couple.

However during yesterday’s visit, Sarbini divulged that TBS Miri presented three months of financial assistance totalling RM1,248 to the couple.

In addition to the Seruji family, he pointed out that the team visited another three poor families for a similar purpose on the same day.

He said to date, TBS Miri has presented monthly aid to a total of 94 deserving poor families in the city. Also present were the head of JPM Miri Wahid Mohamad and TBS Miri’s executive officer Mazarita Zakaria.