SERI MANJUNG: THE Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) brought cheer to 960 poor families in the northern region through its Kembara Kasih Ramadan 2014, a community outreach programme.
Held for the first time, the event was launched recently with families in Pasir Panjang and Kamunting selected to receive the aid.
Besides families in Perak, families in Balik Pulau and Kepala Batas in Penang, Pantai Merdeka and Kubang Pasu in Kedah and Bintong and Beseri in Perlis will also be receiving the festive aid from NCIA.
NCIA chief executive officer Datuk Redza Rafiq Abdul Razak said the programme, part of NCIA’s corporate social responsibility initiative, was aimed at alleviating the burden of the poor, especially during Ramadan.
Redza Rafiq said among the items given are rice, cooking oil and other daily necessities.
“We are also looking into relocating an industry there to allow the people there to take part in developing the area,” he said after the presentation ceremony, which was held at Masjid Wataniah in Kampung Pasir Panjang Laut here recently.
Also present was Pasir Panjang assemblyman Datuk Rashidi Ibrahim who thanked NCIA for bringing cheer to the poor.
In the programme, Redza Rafiq and Rashidi also visited two homes of the poor at Kampung Pasir Panjang Laut here.
During the visit, Redza Rafiq also gave his undertaking to sponsor a child of one of the poor families to further his studies in skills training.
The 25-year-old man currently works as a helper at a stall selling drinks at a night market.
Later, a similar ceremony was held at Masjid Jamel Kamunting with state executive councillor Datuk Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid lending his hand to present the aid.
A total of 120 poor families received their aid from Zahir and Redza.
Later, Zahir and the NCIA team visited the homes of Fatimah Saman, 63, and Idris Mat Letcha, 76, both of Kampung Pinang.
Fatimah, who is partially blind, takes care of her two grandchildren whose parents had been admitted into Pusat Serenti.
Fate also dealt Fatimah with another blow when the roof of her house, which she shares with her husband, was partially blown away during a storm in June.
Idris takes care of a nephew who has special needs.