Social Welfare applications during Program Mesra Raykat

Social Welfare booth at the Lunas, Kulim program

 People’s appeal to the Department of Social Welfare constitutes the highest number of cases totaling 2,236 or 45.2% of the total number of cases received. There seems to be lots of people who have difficulties in earning a living.

This is where case work undertaken to assess the socio-economic need of the family is of utmost importance. Overall we noticed that at all the six locations the Department of Social welfare officers worked very hard to ensure that on the day of the program there was sufficient staff present to review the cases. In addition the welfare officers made field visit to verify the oral interviews they did earlier.

Table 1 illustrates the analysis of the data available. A total of 577 or 25.8% of the cases were approved. These are all new cases with household income of below RM750.

Table 1 Total cases & status

	Total cases received	Already receiving welfare assistance	<RM750       New cases approved	Cases under investiga-tion & refered
IJOK	146	6	41	50
LUNAS	844	_	203	363
SG PELEK	357	41	80	36
PERAI	386	_	125	40
SG SIPUT	409	11	128	23
BATU ANAM	94	_	_	94
Totals	2236 (100%)	58 (2.6%)	577 (25.8%)	606 (27.1%)

However, a total of 995 cases were rejected as household income is higher than RM750 (see Table 2). SITF has secured the support of the Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development to channel those whose income is between RM750 but below RM1,500 into the Azam program. Efforts are underway to review the database and explore how 465 or 20.8% of the cases will benefit from the four AZAM programs.

Table 2 Rejected Cases and alternatives

	Total cases received	Total cases rejected >RM750	Cases bet  RM750 - RM1500  to Azam	Rejected cases > 1500
IJOK	146	49	35	14
LUNAS	844	278	88	190
SG PELEK	357	200	84	116
PERAI	386	221	60	161
SG SIPUT	409	247	198	49
BATU ANAM	94	_	_	_
Totals	2236 (100%)	995 (44.5%)	465 (20.8%)	530 (23.7%)

Social welfare officers processing cases at Lunas, Kulim

It is indeed commendable that social welfare officers devoted much time in the review of the cases. This is still an on going exercise as there are another 606 or 27.1% to be verified. We notice that there are lots of elderly people who strongly feel that they should receive some form of welfare grant from the state

At the heart of the issue is, how do we empower people to earn more? One key way is to improve their skills levels. Another is through micro business and provision of micro loans. However in the case of the elderly poor there are many cases where family especially children do not seem to assist their elder parents.

We also noticed there were people within the productive employable age who too have resigned to the fact that they would become mere welfare recipients rather being active in wealth creation.

Greater awareness to the Azam programs such as for employment, service, small business and agriculture will creat a new spirit and interest for self help and self reliance. Social preparation, mindset change, peer group support and a supporting hand will enable the community among the poor and low income find a new deal.

Recently the SITF Chairman requested the secretariat to organize a specific awareness & training program on Azam for volunteers from the districts. The objective here is to organize door to door visits to the cases which are channeled to Azam in order to make an assessment, which of the four current Azam programs would best suite their interest. An attempt will also be made to review the rejected cases who are said to have incomes above RM1,500.

Therefore on Saturday Nov 27, 2010 volunteers from the six neighborhoods will come to KL to be oriented by an officer from the Ministry for women and family development on Azam and an officer from the Department of social welfare on the schemes and eligibility criteria. These volunteers will work with the agency officers to direct them towards a suitable Azam program. SITF will continue to monitor the outcome.