Latest news with #FatimahAbdullah
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Fatimah: Authenticity of Pesta Kaul must be preserved for future generations
Fatimah and other guests pose for a group photo after officially launching Pesta Kaul Sungai Kut Muara. MUKAH (June 2): The authenticity and cultural significance of the Pesta Kaul Sungai Kut Muara must be preserved to reflect the true spirit of the traditional Melanau celebration passed down through generations, said Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. 'If tourists want to witness an authentic Kaul festival, they should come and experience the Pesta Kaul in Mukah,' she said when officiating the opening ceremony of the festival today. Fatimah praised the collaboration between the older and younger generations in ensuring the annual continuation of the cultural event. 'The involvement of both senior and upcoming generations ensures the continuity of the authentic Pesta Kaul,' she said, when officiating at the opening of the Pesta Kaul Sungai Kut Muara today. Fatimah congratulating the committee members for successfully carrying out the responsibility of continuing this cultural legacy. Looking ahead, Fatimah proposed strengthening the celebration further by 2026. 'We can enhance the Pesta Kaul with more structured planning through discussions between local village committees (JKKK) and district office,' she said. She stressed the importance of refining and elevating festival activities, showcasing the innovation and craftsmanship of the Melanau people, particularly in traditional raft-making for the symbolic Serahang procession. To preserve the unique identity of Pesta Kaul, Fatimah highlighted the importance of traditional Melanau attire as a defining feature of the festival, and urged focus on traditions rooted in pre-Islamic and pre-Christian Melanau culture. 'The authenticity of Pesta Kaul must be preserved and passed down. The younger generation must understand its significance through oral storytelling competitions or written narratives about the Kaul,' she explained. Workshops on Serahang making should also be organised to prevent the loss of this cultural craft, she added, while urging the community to safeguard their unity and cultural space against negative external influences. In addition to the cultural aspects, Fatimah also outlined several completed and upcoming development projects under the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) in Dalat, and emphasised the importance of education. She noted that the government continues to provide substantial support for early childhood education, ensuring access to quality schooling for children in rural areas. fatimah abdullah lead Melanau community Pesta Kaul
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Health
- Borneo Post
Sarawak govt contributes RM10,000 to Lions Nursing Home for Gawai
Fatimah presents a Kenyalang Gold Card to one of the residents of Lions Nursing Home in Kuching. KUCHING (June 1): Lions Nursing Home Kuching today received a festive contribution of RM10,000 from the Sarawak government during a visit by Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. Fatimah said the contribution was part of the ministry's ongoing outreach to senior citizens during festive seasons. 'From our delegation, on my left is the Director of the Sarawak Welfare Department, Tuan Haji Semawi. 'In our brief discussion just now, he said that we still have the funds, and we are going to donate RM10,000 – that is our Gawai gift and our ziarah (visitation) gift for today,' she told a press conference held in conjunction with the Program Ziarah Warga Emas Sempena Sambutan Hari Gawai Dayak dan Hari Raya Aidiladha 2025 at the nursing home on Saturday. Fatimah also announced that Kenyalang Gold Cards and the Senior Citizen Health Benefit (SCHB) initiative would be extended to eligible residents of the home. She said the effort aimed to improve access to health services and support systems for senior citizens in the state. 'The Kenyalang Gold Card will allow them to receive discounts and rebates from our strategic partners, especially pharmacies and private hospitals,' she said. She also highlighted that the SCHB initiative, which provides RM500 annually per eligible recipient, will continue next year. This benefit is available to those with household incomes below RM7,000, to support medical treatment at private clinics and hospitals. 'I have to thank Dr Asmah (Nazahiyah Said), Head of the Private Medical Practice Control Branch, Sarawak State Health Department, who has been helping us from the beginning to ensure this health benefit becomes a reality, especially in identifying potential panel clinics,' she said. Fatimah expressed appreciation to Lions Nursing Home and its chairperson Datin Ellis Suriyati Omar for their service and commitment. She noted that Ellis' contributions to society extend beyond the state level. 'She is very active not only locally but also globally through the Lions Club. Because of her involvement, we have nominated her for a state-level Women's Day award under the social activist category,' she said. The visit also included officers from her ministry, the Sarawak Welfare Department, the Social Development Council, and researchers currently conducting a state-wide study on aging in Sarawak. 'This is a comprehensive study covering over 3,000 respondents across urban and rural areas, including different ethnic groups and gender segments. It is being carried out by a consortium involving Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia and University of Technology Sarawak,' she said. She said the findings from the study would be crucial in preparing Sarawak for the challenges of becoming an aging state by 2028. 'We want to understand the profile of our senior citizens – what issues they face depending on where they live, their gender, and their ethnicity – so we can provide the right support systems,' she said. Fatimah stressed that the state government is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all age groups, from children and women to at-risk individuals and senior citizens. 'Our ministry's responsibility is to ensure that no one is left behind in the state's development. Everyone, whether young or old, rich or poor, deserves proper attention,' she said. The minister recalled a previous visit to the home during Chinese New Year, where a resident broke down in tears and expressed a longing for family visitation. 'That memory has stayed with me. Our visit today is to give cheer and confidence. You are not alone, we are with you,' she said. Fatimah commended the Lions Nursing Home for its 30 years of continuous service despite financial challenges, describing its contribution as a testament to the organisation's credibility. 'Congratulations and thank you. May God guide us in our quest to provide care and comfort to the needy and disadvantaged in our society,' she said. fatimah abdullah Kuching Lions Nursing Home
Borneo Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Sarawak to become ageing state by 2028 amid citizenship application delays, says Fatimah
Fatimah visits the state NRD in Kuching. KUCHING (May 30): A total of 628 citizenship applications, out of the 1,567 received between 2018 and last year, are still being processed as of April 30 this year, said State Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. She said the applications were submitted under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution to the state National Registration Department (NRD). 'The Sarawak state-level Special Working Committee has also received 66 citizenship applications under the same Article from September 5 last year and February this year,' she said following a working visit to the NRD at Bangunan Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang here today. As of last month, Fatimah said the state NRD had received and approved 42 applications for the inclusion of the 'K' indicator in the MyKad for the children involved. Of these, 27 applications were processed in Sibu, 12 at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Kuching, and one each in Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri. She added that the Special Task Force, meant to address citizenship issues, received 5,243 applications across Sarawak in 2023. Of those, 2,602 were approved for the issuance of identity documents, she disclosed. 'The task force's Technical Committee, which convened on May 15 this year, also approved 3,885 out of 7,981 applications received in 2024. However, out of the total 13,224 applications received overall, she said 6,737 were rejected for various reasons such as having foreign documents, lack of proof of birth in Malaysia, lack of certification by community leaders, and incomplete supporting documents. On the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS), Fatimah highlighted concerns on Sarawak's declining birth rate and a shift in gender ratio. 'Based on the statistics we have, Sarawak recorded more baby boys than baby girls. As this trend continues, our boys may grow up facing a limited choice of girls as future spouses,' she remarked. She said not only is Sarawak experiencing fewer births in recent years, but life expectancy is rising. 'Sarawak's life expectancy is in the 70s, which is relatively high, though still below Singapore's 80 years,' she noted. With life expectancy increasing and birth rates slowing, Sarawak is expected to become an ageing state by 2028, she pointed out. 'We must prepare for this. What are the needs, the support systems, and the challenges faced by senior citizens? These are the questions we must address,' she said, stressing the need for early preparations to ensure senior citizens can live with dignity and enjoy a good quality life. Statistics from her ministry showed there were 9,381 births as of April this year. In comparison, 30,235 births were recorded in 2024, with 33,743 births in 2023, 32,740 births (2022), 28,261 births (2021), 33,964 births (2020), and 36,117 births (2019). ageing state citizenship applications fatimah abdullah lead
Barnama
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Barnama
Sarawak Prepared For North-East Monsoon With 661 Relief Centres, One-Off Aid Packages
KUCHING, May 27 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) has prepared for the North-East Monsoon (November-to-March) by identifying a total of 661 relief centres throughout the state. Sarawak Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said disaster relief stocks had also been prepared at several strategic locations including the Samarahan Disaster Storage Depot, mini depots in Miri and Lawas, as well as at 16 disaster stores at divisional and district welfare offices, in addition to 31 disaster response bases in Sarawak. She said the Sarawak government had also approved the new rate of Disaster Reliefw to be given to victims of floods, landslides, fires and storms starting this year. 'The assistance includes a one-off initial food supply of RM75 per pack for households consisting of one to five people. 'A one-off immediate assistance is also provided, comprising pocket money of RM200 per person, daily-wear apparel of RM300 per person, dry food of RM100 per person and sleeping essentials of RM200 per person,' she said during the winding-up for her ministry at the State Assembly session here today. Fatimah said a one-off school aid would cover uniforms and shoes worth RM300 per person, as well as school equipment such as bags and stationery of RM200 per person. 'One-off kitchen appliances aid is RM1,000 per house, shelter aid for construction of temporary housing or rental ranging from RM1,000.00 to RM10,000.00 per household. 'Daily food assistance at the relief centres will be provided at a cost of RM50 per person per day and for victims who are stranded, dry food supply is RM100 per pack per person for a week," she said. She added that from January to April 30 this year, JKMS has distributed assistance totaling RM21.1 million to 168,574 disaster victims throughout the state.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
S'wak govt has received 95 temporary document applications from stateless individuals
KUCHING: A total of 95 individuals in Sarawak have applied for the Temporary Document for Stateless Individuals (DSITKS) between Jan 1 and May 19 this year. Sarawak Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said of that number, 35 applications had been approved while 60 were rejected for failing to meet the eligibility criteria. 'The rejections were due to, among other things, the absence of birth certificates, birth certificates not registered in Sarawak, failure to apply for citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, and applicants being over the age of 21,' she said during her winding-up speech for her ministry at the State Assembly sitting here today. Fatimah said that in addressing complex citizenship cases, the Sarawak government had also introduced an additional policy involving the inclusion of the 'K' indicator on the MyKad of children granted citizenship under Article 15A. 'On Sept 26, 2024, the Sarawak government approved the inclusion of the 'K' indicator on the identity cards of children granted citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, who are adopted by or whose parents are citizens residing in Sarawak and have the 'K' indicator, as an additional policy to be adopted by the National Registration Department (NRD) in Sarawak,' she said. She added that as of April 30 this year, the Sarawak NRD had received and approved 42 applications for the inclusion of the 'K' indicator for the children concerned.
