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no academic qualifications or skills,
which is needed in society and without
which will then lead to another circle of
poverty for them and their families.
“We also must remember that
there are also others who suffer
from mental and physical handicaps,
which make it impossible for them
to seek normal employment, so must
be provided with assistance in every
way. Their families will bear most of
these burden but some are unable to
do and so the welfare homes are the
places where they will be given the
proper conditions for the rest of their
normal lives,” she pointed out.
and secondary schools for a sound
education foundation which will carry
them to the next level of professional
education or skills trade and others like
entrepreneurships.”
On the welfare aspect of the
Ministry, Datuk Fatimah stressed
that legitimate and registered
candidates in the unfortunate, the
poor and the incapacitated category
will continue to gain attention and
financial assistance from her Ministry.
According to her, the government
has always place priority to ensure
that those living on the fringes
of society are not forgotten and
take steps to give them a better
life through financial and other
assistance. To this end, the Welfare
Department Sarawak has already
embarked on its “ cari “ initiative to
register the needy across the length
and breadth of the State.
“In this aspect, the Ministry will also
appeal to private organisations to
come forward and jointly work with
the Ministry in providing a better
future for those who are poor and
marginalized within our society. Many
of these families live within the city
and town centres, many of which are
without basic utilities and in deplorable
living conditions. We can sometimes
see them foraging for food and work
while mothers with small children
can also be seen going around in the
group. It is especially sad to see these
children not going to schools as their
parents find sending them to school a
burden. Hence they will grow up with
On a positive note, she informed
that statistics from early childhood
education programmes has shown
much improvement in the scholastic
aptitude of these children and they
tend to be generally doing well in
primary and secondary schools. With
the right educational background,
they will be able to dictate their
own future and bring progress to
our society and also to their families.
Datuk Fatimah cautioned that despite
such success, there is much still to
be done to uplift the living standard
of the society, especially when the
government is targeting 2030 for
Sarawak to be a developed state.
We need to constantly upgrade our
own skills and technical capabilities as
the world is changing very fast and
challenges from neighbouring nations
so that we will remain ahead. At the
same time we cannot afford to neglect
those who are marginalized and poor
in our quest to achieve success. I believe
that together we can all work towards
success, the government and public
sector working as partners in caring and
strengthening the family institution with
an aim to empower the women in our
society and bring new hopes for those
who are less fortunate.
Sarawak Women’s Bureau • Jalan Bakti off Jalan Sultan Tengah, Semariang, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: +6086 446980, 446178 Fax: +6086 447937
Jan-Mar2012BorneoTalk | 35