MARUDI: Some 70 staffs of the River Outreach Programmes (ROP) participated in a ‘family adoption’ programme at longhouses along Baram River.
The staffs from various state and federal government departments and agencies namely State Treasury Department, Malaysian Armed Forces, Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), National Registration Department, Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Welfare Department Malaysia, Telang Usan/Marudi Distirct Office, Miri Residents’ Office and others.
The River Outreach Programme ROP is a mobile programme which moves from one location to another using an express boat to reach out to the targetted groups which have been identified.
Six longhouses were visited namely Long Lama, Umah Akeh, Long Banyok, Long Ikang, Kuala Tutoh were during the entire programme.
An officer of the State Federal Treasury Department, Mohd Saiful Sungkih Abdullah said the participants of in the ‘family adoption’ programme along Baram River started from 2 to 8 March.
He added that the programme included an overnight stop at each longhouse the participants visited.
“A token was also presented to each participating family of the programme to assist them in generating income indirectly,” he said.
Mohd Saiful also pointed out that the programme an express boat was used as a mobile counter to inform the people of the government policies at every longhouse the participants visited.
The Baram River ROP was managed by State Federal Treasury with Ministry of Finance as the main organiser and
With the support of Malaysian Armed Forces, Sarawak Government through the Miri Resident’s Office, KePejabat Telang Usan and Marudi District Offices.
Among the services provided during the programme were health screening, dental care and eye check by medial officers from the Malaysian Armed Forces.
The National Registration Department also offered services related to application and renewal of My Kad and other related matters while the State Welfare Department in the application of welfare assistance and others.
Mohd Saiful also said that people residing along Baram River are mostly Ibans and Orang Ulus with a polulation of around 4,000 in the six longhouses targetted in the programme.
“They are mostly smallholder farmers and river fishermen,” he said.
He hoped that the government’s efforts and initiatives will benefit those residing along the Baram River and indirectly expose them to the government’s major services during the programme.
