ISKANDAR PUTERI: Some RM25 million were allocated by the government via social development initiatives and programmes within Iskandar Malaysia, aimed at benefiting the grassroots and vulnerable group affected by Covid-19 and the Movement Control Order (MCO) since January.
Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the allocation were thoroughly planned and implemented to ensure that the people received proper relevant aid.
"In targeted social development programmes, a sum of RM25 million allocated benefited 4,500 participants between January 2021 and the first quarter of 2022," he said.
Half of the allocation was from the Covid-19 Fund (KWC) and channeled by the federal government through Iskandar Regional Development Development Authority (IRDA) which continue to implement various welfare programmes over the years.
Hasni, who is also the Co-Chairman of IRDA said this in a media statement issued after chairing the 14th Iskandar Malaysia Social Development Committee (SDC) meeting, here, yesterday.
Among the programmes and initiatives is the Iskandar Malaysia Employment Grant (IMEG), which provides 1,811 job opportunities in 252 companies.
Of the companies, 65 percent is from manufacturing sector while the balance represented by services sector.
Some 70 percent of the jobs were by women and also includes participants from people with disabilities, retirees, unemployed graduates and retrenched workers.
The community capacity building programme involving 29 courses and training in various fields including entrepreneurship, communication skills, online marketing strategies have benefited 1,000 participants among youths, women, NGOs and community leaders.
This year, the Village Enhancement and Empowerment Programme (VEEP) under Iskandar Malaysia has spent RM400,000 on socio-economic projects in villages affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under this programme, three youth activity and business centres (IMPOD) have been completed, while two more IMPODs will be built with RM1.07 million allocation.
To ensure the socio-economic projects in these villages are competitive and sustainable, an additional allocation of RM500,000 is provided for the villagers and cooperative board members in business to learn product marketing strategies.
IM Rent was initiated to assist small traders through rental payment matching grants and has benefited 114 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), while the IM Start Programme offers start-up grants of RM10,000 to 200 individuals for online business.
The community-driven Urban Farming initiative (IMURFARM) involves eight Community Farm projects with an allocation of RM576,000 and has benefited 140 members.
In line with Johor Food Security Agenda, four Urban Farm pilot projects focusing on high-yield agriculture will create 13 youth farmers through indoor farming in abandoned government agency-owned shophouses and through outdoor integrated farming covering four acres of unused open space.
Additionally, the Welfare Program (IM MAKMUR) helped the vulnerable group in skills upgrading to get a job or start a business, children's education assistance and cooperation with NGOs to carry out socio-economic projects has successfully helped over 600 participants among single mothers, orphans and the B40 group.
Hasni said new initiative was also planned to involve intensive education class assistance for students whose families are in the low-income category and disadvantaged students who barely access the home-based teaching and learning class.
This programme supported the provision of devices by the Johor government through Ihsan Johor 3.0 that involved almost 8,000 students.
"IRDA and its strategic partner, Think City Johor Bahru also plans to mobilise Johor Bahru City's economic rejuvenation and rehabilitation initiatives through Arts, Culture and Heritage to revive activities in Johor Bahru city centre, especially after the completion of the Sungai Segget rejuvenation and landscaping
project.
"Assistance in the form of grants in three components involving Heritage Filling, Space Regeneration and community programs with an allocation of RM1 million," he said.
He added that the implementation of special programs for youth, IMYES (Iskandar Malaysia Youth Entrepreneur Grant) and IMSKILL (Iskandar Malaysia Skilled Youth Development Program) with RM1.5 million allocated would also benefit 200 youths.
In conjunction with the meeting, Hasni also launched the Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award Report Book (IMSHA) and witnessed the handing over of jackets sponsored by IYHSB, a subsidiary of IRDA, to volunteers under IMSHA, a Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Also present were IRDA Chief ExecutiveDatuk Ismail Ibrahim and IMSHA representative Yvonne Loh.
A total of 120 non -governmental organisations and individuals who formed the IMSHA volunteer network have helped people affected by the pandemic and MCO.
The group has assisted 14,318 affected families or individuals in the form of 112,694 raw and cooked food aid.
They also distributed assistance in the form of cash and supply of health equipment besides providing counseling and advisory services. To date, 1,552 citizen calls have been received and facilitated.
IMSHA is one of the Iskandar Malaysia Community Development Programmes apart from the Healthy and Smart Community City Initiative (SHCC), that aims to strengthen and promote social ties between communities in Iskandar Malaysia.
The IMSHA award programme, recognised by the United Nations (UN), is an Award Provider for Good Practices, Social Development Goals (SDGs).