(Left to right, standing) Tay, Lau, Fatimah, Sim and Naming pose with recipients (front row) of the grants given by Vivacity Megamall.
KUCHING: The State Cabinet has approved an additional financial grant of RM1.5 million to Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development.
Its minister, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, said the additional allocation is specially for registered non-profit organisations in Sarawak to be disbursed next year.
“Prior to this additional allocation of RM1.5 million grant, the state government had in fact approved RM1.5 million earlier, bringing the total for next year to RM3 million.
“I asked for additional allocation in view of the increased number of NGOs in the state,” said Fatimah when speaking at the 4th anniversary celebration of Vivacity Megamall here yesterday.
At the event, Vivacity Megamall contributed RM10,000 each to The Salvation Army Children’s Home, Persatuan Kanak-kanak Terencat Akal (Perkata) and the Dyslexia Association of Sarawak.
Fatimah advised that grants are not to be disbursed arbitrarily but in a proper manner according to each NGO’s constitution.
“Our NGOs have done a very good job, thus the State Cabinet had considered to increase the allocations.
“Furthermore, allocations of grants to our NGOs are to empower and strengthen them in doing welfare activities for the society,” she said.
Among those present at the event were Coramax Mall Sdn Bhd director Alan Sim Vivacity Megamall centre manager Jonathan Naming, Vivacity Megamall director (Finance) Janet Tay Poh Sum, Vivacity Megamall director (Human Resource) Geraldine Lau and representatives of NGOs – Captain Cathy Aloba (The Salvation Army Children’s Home), Gill Raja (Perkata) and Dr Ong Puay Hoon (Dyslexia Association of Sarawak).