643 roadside traders entitled to aid: Jeffrey
Published on: Sat, May 10, 2025
By: Clarence Dol Text Size: Dr Joachim (middle) poses for a photo with the roadside small traders who received aid for Ranau district. Kundasang: A total of 643 small roadside stall traders throughout Sabah have been identified as eligible to receive one-off assistance amounting to RM5,000 as announced in the tabling of the Sabah State Budget 2025. Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam who announced this said that the list of aid recipients was finalised after a comprehensive verification process carried out by a special committee involving the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (KKTP), the State Ministry of Finance and all Local Authorities (PBT). 'A field trip programme was carried out to obtain data on small roadside stall traders in all districts. 'After research was carried out based on the established mechanism, a total of 643 traders have been identified as eligible to receive this assistance,' he said. He was speaking when officiating the Kick-Off Ceremony for the Handover of Upgrading Efforts for the Community and the General Public (UNTUKMU) at the Sabah state level at the Kundasang Cultural Stage, here Thursday. Dr Joachim, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Housing, said that of the total, 47 recipients from the Ranau district received the assistance in the form of a one-off cash contribution worth RM5,000 each. He said that the initiative is a sign of the State Government's concern for the plight of small traders who are facing challenges such as increased operating costs, lack of capital and unstable business locations. He also considered small traders as micro-economic drivers who play an important role in providing services to the local community. 'Hopefully this assistance can be put to good use, whether to purchase equipment, as additional capital, or to further expand existing businesses,' he said. The ceremony on Thursday also saw the handover of mock cheques to the PBTs involved before the phased distribution of assistance to other districts is implemented. Also present were Deputy Permanent Secretary II of the KKTP, Faridah Giau; Ranau District Officer, Tinus Manggam; President of the Penampang Municipal Council, Francis Chong; representative of the Ranau Member of Parliament, Hussen Haji Jirat; representative of the Karanaan Assemblyman, Datuk Faimin Kamin; representative of the Paginatan Assemblyman, Hishamuddin Harun; Ranau Deputy Police Chief, ASP Edianshah Endal; KKTP officers and Community Leaders. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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