Rohani (seated second right) and Ahmad (seated right) talk to the recipients at the event.

KUCHING: The federal government will look into the call by the state government to increase welfare aid to reflect the higher cost of living nowadays.

According to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, the suggestion by Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem for the federal government to follow the state government’s decision has to be studied first.

“This is because we had increased the spending for welfare aid by RM50 per recipient monthly as announced earlier this year, and the increase incurred a total of RM66 million monthly,” said Rohani.

She was speaking to reporters after presenting the ‘Sejambak Kasih’ assistance by the Welfare Department at Kampung Batu Kitang Lama, here yesterday.

She added that the federal rate is normally higher and is distributed monthly to all the eligible recipients.
“If the federal government wants to follow the state’s decision, then we need to look at the next budget announcement,” said Rohani.

Rohani later said other assistance included the 1Azam entrepreneur programme benefitting around 5,000 people selected to receive business packages such as catering, wellness, burger selling and tailoring business.

“We had a number of applicants from Sarawak and they had gradually improved their standard of living through the business start-up package offered by 1Azam,” she said.

On the programme yesterday, Rohani said it was an annual affair for her to distribute monthly welfare assistance to Welfare Department clients and to listen to the voice of the people.

“At the same time, we can get to know the Welfare Department clients besides being a platform for them to voice their concerns,” she added.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Batu Kawa branch chief Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim was also present.