Abang Johari expected to announce new welfare fund for S’wkian mothers

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Abang Johari (fifth left) presents an EPS fund to a mother and child at the event.

BEKENU: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is expected to announce another new welfare fund by the end of the year for Sarawakian mothers who have just given birth.

Abang Johari announced this when launching the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Zone 13 A for N.71 Bekenu and N.72 Lambir branches at Bekenu Multipurpose Court today.

He said the welfare fund is the Sarawak government’s initiative to ease the mothers’ economic burden after giving birth.

“Mothers after giving birth need a lot of money to buy milk and other necessary items for their newborn babies.

“We will announce something good to assist the mothers by end of this year.”

The welfare fund for mothers who have just given birth is also aimed to support the existing one-off incentive implemented by the state government under Endowment Fund Sarawak (EPS) starting January this year.

Sarawak government has allocated some RM40 million for Sarawakian new born babies this year via EPS.

Every Sarawakian newborn regardless of ethnicity, religion and social status would receive an RM1,000 endowment fund each.

The fund will be invested by the state government and the fund can only be withdrawn upon the children reaching the age of 18.

With the fund, the recipients able to use the money for them to pursue their tertiary education or to fund business start-ups, as well as function as savings for those who are not continuing their higher education.