PETALING JAYA: If you know of anyone who is need of
welfare aid, please call Talian Nur at 15999.
The Social Welfare Department is actively searching f=
or
Malaysians who are eligible for financial aid but have not registered.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen expla=
ined
that this new initiative, called Projek Cari,<=
/span> was
intended to strengthen the department’s network.
“Over the next two months, we will seek and
identify all those who are eligible to receive aid (from the
department),” she said.
Dr Ng called on everyone to inform the department if =
they
knew of any families living below the poverty line.
“If you know of anyone who is a single mother, =
or
has no income, or is poor, tell us. Call it public social
responsibility,” she said.
Categories eligible for aid include the disabled earn=
ing
below RM1,200, senior citizens above 60 and earn=
ing
less than RM700 and whose family members are unable support them, and child=
ren
from households with less than RM700 income.
“They can go to the nearest welfare office and
register with us. Our officers will check to see if they qualify for the
scheme. It should not take more than a month to process their
application,” she said when opening the National Council of Senior
Citizens Organisations Malaysia (Nacscom)
Old Folks Home in Kota Damansara.
She also noted that grandparents should not be oblige=
d to
care for their grandchildren.
“I’m not asking grandparents to not look
after their grandchildren, but I believe they should not feel compelled to =
do
so. That would be very sad,” she said.
Nacscom
president Datuk Lum Kin Tuck said the home, whi=
ch
could house 20 people, currently had eight residents.
For more information on the home, contact Nacscom at 03-79585794.