KUALA LUMPUR – The Federal Territories Ministry is looking to strengthen the 5MY Programme designed to eradicate urban poverty, besides improving the social safety net system.
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the 2021 programme covers aspects of employment through MYJob @ Wilayah, schooling (MYSchoolBus @ Wilayah), basic necessities (MYGrocer @ Wilayah), food (MYFood @ Wilayah) and medicine (MYMedic @ Wilayah).
"We started this programme last year on a trial and ad hoc basis in a small capacity, so this year, we will run the programme more widely," he said during the Ruang Bicara programme aired on Bernama TV last night.
He said MYJob @ Wilayah will offer more than 3,000 job opportunities to city dwellers, especially those affected by Covid-19, in six areas of employment, namely services, construction, maintenance, cleaning, manufacturing and packaging.
He said the MYSchoolBus @ Wilayah initiative, which aims to ease transportation expenses of schoolchildren from the low-income group, will be expanded to 158 low-cost public and private housing areas involving almost 10,000 students.
Annuar said the ministry is also targeting to expand the MYGrocer @ Wilayah programme, which offers the B40 target group kitchen items at prices up to 20% lower, to 158 public and private low-cost housing areas as well as villages around the capital.
"I also hope for more response and strategic cooperation from the private sector to make MYFood @ Wilayah a success in ensuring that free food assistance can be enjoyed by more people in need."
He added that MYMedic @ Wilayah, which provides basic treatment and free screening through mobile clinics to less fortunate city dwellers on a weekly basis, will also be expanded to more areas.
Apart from that, Annuar said the ministry is planning a rice contribution programme through MYBeras @ Wilayah, which will be implemented from February 1 until June this year, to alleviate the burden of Federal Territories residents affected by Covid-19.
He said for a start, 23,000 bags of rice donated by corporate bodies and the public will be distributed three times a week through the Federal Territory Residents Representative Council. – Bernama, January 28, 2021
