KOTA KINABALU: Monday,7th Feb 2011
Officers of the State Development Office (SDO) in charge of e- Kasih should go to the ground, especially in the interior and remote areas including Sukau, to cut red tape when registering hardcore poor people. Sukau Assemblyn Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman, who proposed this, said this could expedite screening procedures for the e-Kasih registration as the SDO officers could directly evaluate the status of the applicants.
"SDO, as a government body responsible for implementation and approving the e- Kasih registration, should go down to the ground to meet the target group of the programme in rural areas not only in Sukau but also other interior parts of Sabah.
"By doing so, they could see for themselves the living condition and standard of the target group residing in villages and give instant approval rather than the applicants waiting for so long for approval that would qualify them for various government assistance" he said.
Instead of depending on verification of applicants by the community leaders like headmen and JKKK chairmen and discussion by relevant authorities, he said the SDO's direct evaluation could ensure goverment assistance to the eligible target group is channelled immediately.
SDO shold also emulate the National Registration Department (NRD) that goes down to the ground to register and provide personal identification documents to rural locals. " Depending on community leaders like in Sukau to provide the e- Kasih data would not be sufficient as they could only do so during official programme and activities being carried out in their area, he said.
Saddi also clarified that a total of 204 hardcore poor house hold heads (KIRTs) in Sukau have received various government aid under the Kinabatangan District Poverty Eradication Programme 2010 through a Focus Group committee that screened the recipients.
Out of 204 KIRTs, he said 77 KIRTs were recipients of the Housing Assistance Programme (PBR), 37 received the income Enhancement Programme (PPP) and 70KIRT were listed as recipients of the programme of Economic Enhancement (PPES).
"These 204 KIRTs are out of 731 KIRTs that have been registed under the e-Kasih databased and there are still 527 KIRTs that have yet to receive goverment assistance to improve their living standard.
"Actually not only 527 KIRTs that have yet to get aid but between 1,000 and 1,500 KIRTs in Sukau have not been registered under e-Kasih. Therefore, i have pledged to register them and ensure they receive the assistance before end of this year, saddi said.