Harden (second left) presents excellent service award to a JKM Sarawak staff member.

KUCHING: The Welfare Department (JKM) of Sarawak has set out a three-year plan to improve the welfare of the needy, says Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

According to her, the department would enhance its strategic programmes to empower the target groups so that they can be independent in the future.

“We have taken into account several things for the JKM Sarawak Strategic Plan for the coming three years and these (needy individuals) include monthly financial aid recipients, children at welfare institutions, senior citizens, people with disabilities and disaster victims,” she said at the ‘JKM Sarawak Excellent Service Awards 2017’ and ‘Innovation 2018’ ceremonies at a hotel here on Friday.

Her text of speech was read out by Assistant Minister of Community Well Being Datuk Francis Harden Hollis.

Fatimah also pointed out that under JKM Sarawak’s monthly financial aid programme, for example, the community would have access to a ‘helpline’ to enable them to refer any individual or family in need of welfare assistance from time to time.

“Each new application will also be carefully considered and feedback will be reverted to the applicants within a month or less.

“At the same time, the JKM case workers have to take proactive action to refer the applicants to other agencies should the service they require are not provided by JKM Sarawak,” she said.

Moreover, Fatimah said for active recipients, they would continue to be guided through capacity improvement programme such as ‘Welfare Micro Entrepreneurs Programme’ and ‘Career Matching Programme’.

“Unproductive recipients should also be given focus by exposing them to awareness, motivation and education programmes so that they can continue to lead dignified lives with a positive attitude to assimilate into society.”

At the ceremony, Harden presented excellent service awards to JKM Sarawak staff, who were selected by the Human Resources Management Committee and Quality Award Department Committee 2018.