Halimah (centre) presents the food box to a recipient while Lo looks on.

KUCHING (Oct 23): The Ministry of National Unity and the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Sarawak will form a committee to identify land to build Komuniti Rukun Tetangga (KRT) centres in Sarawak.

National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohd Sadique said she has discussed the matter with Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Sarawak Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

“Currently, many of the premises of KRT centres in the state are rented and it would be difficult for us to upgrade or do any expansion in premises that do not belong to us.

“This is why it is important for us to build the KRT centres on the land gazetted by the Sarawak government,” she said at the the ‘RT Cares, #KitaBersama’ programme at Semeba Multipurpose Hall in Kampung Semeba today.

According to the Tenggara MP, the ministry will also seek to secure bigger annual grants for KRT centres so that they can run their activities and upgrade the facilities at their centres.

“I understand that each KRT centre receives an annual grant of RM6,000 and it was increased to RM6,500 after l took over as the National Unity minister.

“Starting next year, I hope all active KRT centres will get a bigger grant and those which are less active or inactive will be getting less,” said Halimah.

She said the KRT Cares Programme is very significant in the current pandemic situation where the lives of many in the community have been affected.

“This programme is an initiative of the Ministry of National Unity to ensure the survival and well-being of the community during the Covid-19 pandemic through the empowerment of Rukun Tetangga community responsibilities.

“This programme is based on the concept of RT4ALL which is RT for all sections of society regardless of background differences through the spirit of togetherness with the hashtag #KitaBersama.

“The RT Cares programme is in line with the Rukun Tetangga Community Work Agenda (RT4ALL) under the RT Sejahtera Community Work Agenda,” she said.

The objectives of the RT Care Programmes are to strengthen the Ministry’s social responsibility to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic through the empowerment of the KRT; mobilise and strengthen the role of KRT in ensuring the survival and well-being of the community during the pandemic period; assist government initiatives to combat Covid-19 and further accelerate the roll-out of the National Immunisation Programme; and to form a caring and loving society.

This programme has the concept of outreach services, which is to assist the KRT through Food Box Assistance and Basic Necessities to the KRT affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is mobilised by RT volunteers.

“The RT Cares programme started in Melaka on July this year and as of Oct 18, a total of 77,752 recipients have benefited from the implementation of this programme.

“In Sarawak, the total number of recipients of RT Cares Programmes contributions is 11,140 people,” Halimah added.

She said the RT Cares programme has had a high impact on the community and among them are strengthening the ministry’s social responsibility to the community, especially the RT community; easing the burden/cost of living and ensure the well-being of the people; increasing shared concern and responsibility in addressing community issues affected by Covid-19; and assisting in accelerating the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.