NIBONG TEBAL: The government, through the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, will continue to empower community-based organisations (CBO) to play their roles as strategic partners to curb the rising number of child abuse and domestic violence cases in the community.
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, said the issue of protecting the vulnerable groups in the community, particularly children, the disabled and the elderly, should not be taken for granted, adding that the task of protecting them is the shared responsibility of all parties at all levels, especially in the local community.
"As such, the ministry will empower these organisations by providing them with grants to mobilise their roles as the ministry's strategic partners.
"The roles of communities, such as village heads, community organisations, teachers, neighbours, volunteers, are crucial to being the eyes and ears of the authorities, especially this ministry," she told reporters after officiating the mock cheque and certificate presentation and handover of wheelchairs to the ministry's target groups at the Sungai Kechil JKK Hall here today.
Nancy also presented RM558,723.60 in government financial aid to the Puteri Gunung Community Rehabilitation Organisation (PPDK) to help cover the provision of allowances for disabled trainees, stipends for supervisors and staff, premises rent and utilities.
She also said that the government had channelled RM133.55 million to PPDKs nationwide while RM8.43 million had been disbursed to all the PPDKs in Penang as of April.
So far, there are 570 PPDK nationwide, including 24 in Penang.
The PPDK programme is a strategy in community development for the rehabilitation, training, education, equal opportunity and social integration of persons with disabilities (PwD).
Also present were state Social Development, Welfare and Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim and Department of Social Welfare deputy director-general (strategic) Rosmahwati Ishak. – BERNAMA