EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?: Daud (second right) showing his concern for the health of Zairi Mohd’s five-year-old daughter during the presentation ceremony while Zahari (right), Ahmad Lai (third right) and Ting look on.
MIRI: Malaysia does not have to be a welfare state as the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has been giving the welfare of the people top priority attention since day one.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said in fact looking after the people’s welfare could be considered a “common practise” by the BN.
“There is no point in disputing this commitment. We do not have to be a welfare country as we are already a country who takes care of the welfare of the people,” he said during the ‘Presentation of Ihsan Ramadan and Aidilfitri’ at At-Taqwa Mosque yesterday.
Daud told those present that under the 1Malaysia concept, the government had upped its welfare programmes in line with its tagline ‘People First, Performance Now’.
“The government has set a high aim through the slogan ‘Janji Ditepati’ (Promises Fulfilled). Thus, we would maintain those programmes which have proven to be effective and identify the weakness of other programmes in order to improve them.”
Daud urged the people to appreciate the sincerity of the government and not to belittle its efforts in wanting to help the people, especially those in the needy category.
The contributions for the Ihsan Ramadan and Aidilfitri were from Yayasan 1MDB.
“I would like to make it clear that the source of this financial contribution is from Yayasan 1MDB through its programme of Ihsan Ramadan and Aidilfitri.
“It’s not from the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), but it is from their (Yayasan 1MDB) business investments.”
Meanwhile, head of Public & Media Relations of Yayasan 1MDB, Dato Zakaria Sulaiman, said the programme was initiated in the peninsula.
But following its success, Zakaria said the prime minister decided to extend the programme to Sabah and Sarawak this year.
For Miri, a total of RM160,000 would be distributed to some 1,000 Muslims from the three state constituencies which
make up the parliamentary seat of Miri — Piasau, Pujut and Senadin.
Financial assistance for the other areas would be given out in stages.
Also present were Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang and political secretary to Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Sebastian Ting.