Community leaders urged to assist the poor to get help from govt agencies, says Mahdzir

KUALA NERANG - Local community leaders should channel information on the lives of the poor and destitute individuals or families in their respective areas to government agencies so that appropriate assistance can be provided, said Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

He said village heads, penghulu or mosque committee members could help by channelling information on them to the relevant quarters as they did not know how to get help.

"What I'm worried about is that the poor don’t know who to turn to for help. Since they are poor, nobody cares and no one took notice. Finally, the media found out.

"If the media knows about it, they can provide us (government) the information,” he said when met at the Iftar ceremony with Felcra Padang Terap residents in Naka, near here yesterday.

He said this when asked about 13-year-old Wan Akid Afham Wan Mohd Ruhsemadi living in a dilapidated house with his family in Kampung Banggol, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

The story of the boy went viral a few days ago and caught the attention of various parties including independent preacher Ebit Lew, who went to help the teenager and his family.

Mahdzir said the Rural Development Ministry (KPLB), through several agencies, had various programmes to help the poor, including repairing or building new houses for them.

In Kelantan, he said, the programme to repair or build houses for the poor is implemented by the South Kelantan Development Authority (KESEDAR).

"We have the allocation to repair the house, but who can help him to get it? The ones who can help him are the village head, penghulu and the district office by channelling information to our agency," he said.

Meanwhile, Mahdzir said Felcra had allocated RM4.3 million to implement various economic and social development programmes in its land schemes nationwide this year.

"The programmes includes women's development, social amenity development, livestock and farming, skills training and spiritual development,” he added. - BERNAMA