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Makanan asas paling banyak dibeli penerima SARA

Posted on in Media Coverage

SYAJARATULHUDA MOHD ROSLI

21 Jun 2025 01:28pm

GEORGE TOWN – Makanan asas dicatatkan barangan paling banyak dibeli oleh penerima bantuan Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) di seluruh negara selepas ia dilaksanakan bermula awal tahun ini.

Timbalan Menteri Kewangan, Lim Hui Ying berkata, antara makanan asas tersebut adalah gula, minyak, beras, tepung dan telur.

“Daripada data yang kita ada, makanan asas adalah pilihan utama penerima SARA di seluruh negara dan ini satu perkembangan positif yang mana, tumpuan kerajaan adalah untuk membantu rakyat dalam keperluan harian mereka.

“Mulai 1 Mei lalu, kerajaan telah menambah baik pelaksanaan program SARA dengan memperluaskan kategori barangan asas yang dibenarkan, termasuk produk kebersihan rumah seperti sabun, serbuk pencuci pakaian, pencuci pinggan mangkuk dan pencuci lantai.

“Penambahan ini adalah hasil maklum balas daripada penerima sendiri. Kini, terdapat 14 kategori barangan yang dibenarkan, termasuk makanan asas, barangan kebersihan diri, ubat-ubatan dan peralatan persekolahan,” katanya.

Hui Ying yang juga Ahli Parlimen Tanjong berkata demikian ketika ditemui pada Program SARA Kementerin Kewangan di Pasar Raya Mydin George Town di sini pada Sabtu.

Dalam program berkenaan, seramai 100 penerima SARA telah hadir yang mana, ia merupakan sebahagian daripada usaha Kementerian Kewangan untuk turun padang dan menyantuni penerima melalui sesi interaksi secara langsung di kawasan bandar.

Sementara itu, penerima SARA, Saleha Ahmad, 76 dari Sungai Dua berkata, dengan bantuan yang diberikan itu, ia sedikit sebanyak meringankan bebannya yang telah kematian suaminya sejak beberapa tahun lalu.

“Makcik tak tahu pun dapat (SARA). Mereka hubungi saya dan meminta datang ke sini untuk ambil bantuan. Makcik pun datang lah bersama jiran kerana (makcik) tiada kenderaan. Tambahan pula makcik tak berapa sihat.

“Dengan sumbangan ini, sekurang-kurangnya dapat menampung perbelanjaan bulanan. Makcik tiada pendapatan, mengharapkan pencen arwah suami sahaja.

“Terima kasih kerajaan kerana memberi bantuan seperti ini. Kami yang tidak berkemampuan ini, sangat menghargai kerana bantuan ini diberikan setiap bulan, syukur,” katanya.

Sementara itu, jurukimia, Wong Kok Kee,69 dari Gelugor berkata, kehadirannya di pasar raya tersebut adalah mewakili ibunya, Foo Mee Lan, 94 untuk menerima bantuan berkenaan.

“Ibu saya sudah uzur, dia tidak mampu untuk berjalan dan duduk. Jadi saya datang bagi pihak ibu untuk menerima bantuan ini.

“Wang bantuan ini akan saya gunakan untuk membeli keperluan ibu antaranya lampin pakai buang, ubat dan makanan seperti roti,” katanya.

Smart card aid eases financial burden for Pitas students

Posted on in Media Coverage

By SANDRA SOKIAL

KOTA KINABALU: For 15-year-old Alexa Grace Zulkeplee, every ringgit counts. A Form Three student at SMK Kanibongan in Pitas, she receives a modest monthly allowance of RM40 from her father, who operates a small farm.

“On school days, I usually spend just RM1 for food. That gets me through until lunch, which is provided at the hostel,” she said. As the fourth of five siblings, she’s always been mindful of her family’s financial constraints, purchasing only essentials from the school cooperative.

Thanks to a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme by Sabah-owned oil and gas company SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd, she and 631 other students now benefit from a smart card assistance scheme.

The project, organised with the MyKasih Foundation, provides RM100 in monthly aid credited to smart cards, functioning like debit cards for purchasing school supplies and food items.

The initiative aims to ease the financial burden on B40 families and reduce barriers to education.

“I am really happy to receive this card because we don’t have much. It helps lessen the burden on my parents,” Alexa said.

Recognising Pitas as one of Sabah’s most impoverished districts, the programme targets four primary and three secondary schools, benefiting over 2,000 students from low-income households.

“Pitas remains one of the most underdeveloped areas in Sabah. Roads and infrastructure are lacking, but development takes time.

“The key lies in our attitude, whether we give up or rise to the challenge,” said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, also SMJE chairman.

Sharing his own rural upbringing, Masidi recounted how his family had no roads and the nearest secondary schools were in other districts.

Despite the challenges, he saw them as opportunities to escape poverty.

“Fate is in God’s hands. God gave each of us a brain, a set of eyes, hands, and legs. God also gave us the ability to think and shape our own destiny.

“Do not be ashamed of being poor, but be ashamed only if you are not working hard to rise out of it,” he said.

This collaboration between SMJE and the MyKasih Foundation in Pitas is the first of its kind.

Student affairs coordinator Ismail Alibah noted that students were selected based on need, with applications verified by MyKasih.

Of the 660 applicants, 632 were chosen. Those not selected typically came from families with higher incomes.

The smart cards can be used only at authorised outlets for essentials, with transactions monitored to ensure proper use.

The CSR initiative will run until the end of the year, with SMJE estimating expenditure of around RM1 million. Its effectiveness will be reviewed to decide on continuation or expansion to other districts.

Besides SMK Kanibongan, the participating schools include SMK Bongkol, SMK Telaga, and four primary schools: SK Dallas, SK Kanibongan, SK Sosop, and SK Datong.

Kibat, SMJE’s CEO, emphasised the importance of investing in people, especially children, as the true wealth of Sabah. “We look forward to working with like-minded organisations and individuals to expand this programme further,” she said.

Over 2,000 students to benefit from SMJ Energy’s edu programme in Pitas

Posted on in Media Coverage

PITAS: More than 2,000 students from seven schools in the Pitas district received direct assistance for their daily schooling needs through a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd in collaboration with the MyKasih Foundation.

The allocation involving RM2.5 million was launched by Sabah Finance Minister who is also the Chairman of SMJ Energy, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, at a ceremony held at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kanibungan on Tuesday.“

This programme reflects SMJ Energy’s commitment to ensuring that the benefits from Sabah’s oil and gas industry are channelled back to the people, especially our children, who represent the future of this state.”

“It involves three secondary schools and four primary schools in Pitas and provides contactless cash assistance for the purchase of food and stationery at school canteens and cooperatives.”

“This method ensures transparency and that the assistance is delivered directly to the students.”

“This initiative can, in some way, change the course of a student’s life and, at the same time, ease the burden on parents,” he said.

Meanwhile, Masidi also emphasised that Pitas is among the districts facing the most significant socio-economic challenges in Sabah and that every child should be given equal opportunities regardless of background.

The MyKasih Foundation plays an important role in the implementation, including monitoring and providing periodic impact reports.“

This initiative complements the ongoing efforts of schools, education officers, and local organisations in Pitas.”

“We know that improving rural education takes teamwork from all kinds of people,” he said.

Source: Daily Express

SMJ Energy’s CSR initiative brings hope to Pitas students

Posted on in Media Coverage

PITAS (June 11): In a quiet corner of Sabah’s interior, far from the noise and convenience of city life, a 15-year-old girl carries a powerful story that reflects the daily challenges of many children growing up in rural communities.

Alexa Grace Zulkeplee, a student at SMK Kanibongan in Pitas, faces more than just the usual pressures of school life. Her journey is marked by food insecurity and period poverty, struggles that often go unnoticed, yet weigh heavily on students like her.

But today, things are a little easier, thanks to the SMJ Energy Education CSR Initiative.

Through this programme, Alexa receives RM100 a month in aid. While that amount may appear modest to some, to her, it is a lifeline.

“It helped me a lot,” she said with a quiet smile. “Not just for school things, but also for something important like pads,” she added.

Living in the school’s hostel with her younger sister, Alexa typically receives just RM10 a week from her family barely enough for small purchases, since meals are already provided. She shared that if she wants to buy something during recess, she might spend RM1 at the canteen, saving the rest for emergencies, especially to buy sanitary pads from the school’s cooperative retail shop.

“When I found out about this assistance, I was so happy. Now I have enough to buy food at the canteen during recess and can also prepare for my period,” she says.

Alexa is one of 2,261 students across the Pitas district who are receiving support from this initiative, which is funded by Sabah’s state-owned oil and gas company, SMJ Energy.

At her school alone, 680 students are expected to benefit from the programme until the end of the year.

Other schools involved in the initiative include SMK Bongkol, SMK Telaga, SK Dallas, SK Kanibongan, SK Sosop and SK Datong. The initiative is implemented in collaboration with the MyKasih Foundation, which oversees the administrative aspects of the programme, and in partnership with the Sabah Education Department.

Secondary school students receive RM100 per month, while primary school pupils are given RM80.

Instead of handing out cash, the assistance is distributed through the MyKasih smart card system, allowing students to make purchases at their school canteen and cooperative retail shops. This ensures that the support goes directly towards food, school needs and personal essentials.

For 16-year-old Rioallwen Paul, the programme brings peace of mind. The Form Four student from Kg Boribi, Kanibongan, said the card gives him access to food even when his parents are unable to provide pocket money.

“I don’t have to worry anymore if my parents can’t give me lunch money.

“With this card, I can pay for food at the school canteen. This is the first time we’ve received this kind of support, and it really eases the burden of our parents,” he shared.

During the launch of the programme at SMK Kanibongan on June 10, SMJ Energy chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun explained why Pitas was selected for the pilot project.

Known as the most underdeveloped district in Malaysia, Pitas represents a community where the need is greatest.

Masidi noted that helping students with their daily necessities is a practical and meaningful way to encourage them to stay in school and pursue higher education. He added that if the pilot programme is successful, SMJ Energy may expand it to other underserved districts or continue strengthening its efforts within Pitas itself.

In an inspiring speech, Masidi also reflected on his own upbringing. As a kampung boy from the highlands of Ranau, he once walked three days and three nights to Tamparuli just to catch a bus to Kota Kinabalu to continue his secondary education. He spoke candidly about the hardships of his youth and how they motivated him to rise above poverty.

“For me, hardship was a challenge that pushed me to lift my family out of poverty,” he said.

“God determines our fate, but it is up to us to decide how we respond to it and what we make of it. Don’t be ashamed of coming from a poor family. Be ashamed only if you don’t try to escape poverty,” he continued.

Masidi also highlighted the achievements of SMJ Energy over the past three years, noting that its progress has been driven by capable local Sabahan talent.

Joining him at the launch event were SMJ Energy CEO Dr Dionysia Kibat and MyKasih Foundation deputy chairman Jeffrey Gerard Perera.

Through this initiative, SMJ Energy is not only addressing immediate needs but also sowing the seeds for a brighter, more hopeful future for Sabah’s rural students.

Source: Borneo Post Online

Cashless toll payments secure aid for 1,000 low-income families

Posted on in Media Coverage

Wednesday, 16 Apr 2025

Thanks to transactions of MyDebit users at four tolled highways, 1,000 families from the B40 group have received financial aid.

Amanat Lebuhraya Rakyat (ALR), in collaboration with Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) and MyKasih Foundation, celebrated a major milestone as the “Sentuhan Iklas” campaign hit five million MyDebit transactions.

The milestone unlocked the final RM250,000 pledge, providing 500 low-income families across Malaysia with financial aid.

Sentuhan Ikhlas, launched on Sept 26 last year, transformed everyday toll payments into an opportunity to support B40 families.

Each MyDebit transaction at ALR highways – Damansara-Puchong Highway, Shah Alam Expressway, Sprint Highway and SMART Tunnel – contributed towards a growing pool of funds.

Support from Malaysians drove the campaign forward, with 2.5 million transactions achieved in December last year and RM250,000 in aid unlocked for 500 families in Lembah Pantai and Gombak in Klang Valley as well as Sungai Petani and Jitra in Kedah.

The final milestone of five million transactions benefitted families in Gombak, Ayer Keroh (Melaka) and Muar (Johor), giving them RM500 each for necessities at participating outlets.

ALR group chief executive officer Muhammad Nizam Alias said, “Sentuhan Ikhlas is a direct reflection of ALR, PayNet and MyKasih’s shared purpose of sustainable social impact.

“It shows how choosing MyDebit for toll payments can have a meaningful impact on the lives of many.”

PayNet commercial division senior director Azrul Fakhzan Mainor said, “This campaign showcases how digital payments can go beyond convenience to drive shared prosperity.”