ALOR GAJAH – The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has taken an initiative to connect with the grassroots community through the launch of the "One Leader, One Village” (Santuni Madani) programme, creating a platform for local residents to serve their communities.
Its acting chief executive officer and native of Kampung Balik Batu, Tanjung Bidara, Datuk Mohd Nizam Yahya emphasised that this programme allows MAIWP to reach out to residents by focusing on poverty, health, and education issues affecting the village.
To ensure the program’s benefits, MAIWP has contributed a total of RM101,000 in aid, covering support for mosques, suraus, schools, and local asnaf (those in need).
"This programme will not stop here. MAIWP aims to organise even more impactful programs for this adopted village within the next three months," he stated.
"Following the advice of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusof, the initiatives we plan should continue beyond today," he added.
"The Santuni Madani concept for this adopted village calls for engagement every three months, meaning we will visit this village four times within a year," he shared with reporters after the launch ceremony led by Ab Rauf in Kampung Balik Batu, Tanjung Bidara, on Saturday.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Nai’im Mokhtar, also attended the event.
Meanwhile, Ab Rauf expressed support for such a noble programme, seeing it as a stepping stone to enhance the socio-economic dynamics and overall health of the village.
He also expressed hope that similar programmes could be implemented in villages across the state as a means to strengthen cooperation between government leaders and the community.
"This initiative serves as a benchmark to assess how government policies can truly reach the grassroots level and benefit the local community," he added.