Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad yesterday said 49,391 individuals are recipients of the old age pension or allowance for persons with different abilities (OKU) from the Community Development Department (JAPEM) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports during the 20th session of the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting.
As of February, over 18,000 recipients (37 per cent) received old age pension through the bank.
The minister said the number of recipients of old age pension is expected to increase to 18,433 people with 181 new recipients through bank transfers.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi added that financial assistance amounting to BND29,500 and 558 food aid were given to disaster victims.
He said food, sufficient for one week, is provided to victims of calamities when affected individuals’ kitchens are damaged or when cut off from road access.
The questions on old age pension, OKU allowance for as well as assistance for disaster victims were raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Mohamad Danial @ Tekpin bin Ya’akub.
The minister also said counter services at JAPEM and the Zakat, Wakaf and Baitulmal Affairs Department are available for National Welfare System (SKN) recipients who are not information technology (IT) literate.
He added that some 2,272 individuals used counter services in January and February this year.
The question on IT-illiterate SKN recipients was raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Mohammad bin Abdullah @ Lim Swee Ann.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi said nation-building requires input from more than just one group of people. Inputs, feedback and suggestions are analysed based on merits, regardless if they are from or if they are young or old. Cooperation and mutual respect to find the best solutions for nation-building.
The minister added that he welcomes youth townhall discussions and young professional networks as they are open venues for brainstorming.
The question of youth involvement was raised by LegCo members Yang Berhormat Chong Chin Yee and Yang Berhormat Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Momin.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi meanwhile said a research on women development has completed and is currently under review, in response to a query on women development and an action plan on work-life balance and maximising potential raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam. – Azlan Othman
