MIRI – In light of the growing hardship faced by members of its community due to the Covid-19 crisis, several mosques and suraus in Sibu, Sarawak, are setting up “charity shelves” to provide foodstuff for free to hard-hit people in the division.
The initiative is a joint effort started by the management of seven mosques and suraus in the community and Sarawak Assistant Public Health Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee. It will begin tomorrow.
“This project can help poor people who have lost their jobs and income as well as those needing urgent food supplies obtain free foodstuff from the charity shelves located in the mosques and suraus.
“We welcome people from the community who want to donate foodstuff to place their donations on the shelf.
“Those who need the foodstuff can collect it after getting permission from those in charge at the mosques and suraus,” he said on various social media platforms after chairing a meeting with the mosques and suraus today.
Dr Annuar is Nangka assemblyman and also Sibu Disaster Management Committee coordinator.
The houses of worship involved in this charity project are: Masjid Babusalam, Masjid Bahagia Jaya Teku, Surau Darul Islam, Surau Darul Ehsan, Surau Darul Hijrah, Surau Edruce and Surau Maawa.
Furthermore, the assistant minister expects other mosques and suraus will join the campaign in stages as the project expands its outreach to more locations.
He said non-Muslims can also donate food items to these charity shelves by handing them to the officials at the mosques and suraus.
“Non-Muslims in need of food can also collect from the charity shelves after getting permission from those in charge at the mosques and suraus,” he said.
Sibu, along with Kuching, Miri and Bintulu, are the major urban districts that are the worst-hit by Covid-19 out of the state’s 40 districts.
Sibu alone has seen more than a hundred fatalities from the coronavirus so far. – The Vibes, July 2, 2021
