KUCHING: The Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development is mulling over introducing mobile application for all its incentive programmes.
Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said with this application in place, it would better facilitate individuals to apply for any incentive, without the need of visiting the relevant offices.
“We will be working with the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) to create a mobile application for all types of incentives under my ministry.
“We are striving to use the online system and it is hoped that this could be integrated into one mobile application,” she said when met by reporters at her office here yesterday.
Among the incentives under Fatimah’s ministry are the Sarawak Endowment Fund (EFS), the incentive for women undergoing post-natal care, the special annual grant for registered nurseries and kindergartens, special assistance for kidney patients in Sarawak, and the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) for Sarawakians aged 60 and above.
According to Fatimah, many of these incentives are still being handled by the ministry through the Welfare Department of Sarawak.
“The move to introduce a mobile application is in line with the state government’s Digital Economy agenda.”
However, Fatimah singled out the special assistance for kidney patients as one not to be linked to the mobile app, since such assistance was granted based on recommendations from government hospitals and private haemodialysis centres, where the patients concerned received treatment.
“The application for this assistance is based on the recommendations of the hospitals or private centres where they (kidney patients) receive haemodialysis treatment.
“We encourage this target group to make an application (for special assistance for kidney patients) as it provides transportation assistance to them,” she added.