KOTA PADAWAN: There is a need to empower the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (SWD) to enable it to have full control over the management of welfare funds allocated by the federal government.
Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said that currently, the department remains under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in three states: Sarawak, Sabah and Kelantan.
“That being said, we have requested the federal government to channel the welfare funds directly to the state government.
“Only Sarawak, Sabah and Kelantan are still under federal financial control, whereas other states have been given autonomy to manage their welfare funds.
“Although the allocation comes from the federal government, we request that the funds be handed over to the Sarawak SWD director.
“This is because we have a very good financial control system, with strong integrity and internal audit practices,” she said.
She said this when met by reporters after officiating the Hari Raya Aidilfitri ‘Majlis Langgar Meja’ event at the Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (PUSPEN) at Jalan Puncak Borneo here today.
Fatimah stressed that empowering the SWD is necessary to ensure closer monitoring, thereby preventing any misappropriation of funds.
“Especially when it comes to welfare aid for our clients – if we have that control, we can monitor and detect any discrepancy early on.
“If detected early, appropriate checks and balances can be carried out,” she added.
In response to a case on Tuesday (April 9) involving a former government agency’s finance administrative assistant, who was sentenced to a fine of RM180 million, 468 years in prison, and three strokes of the cane for money laundering and criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving over RM16 million, Fatimah stated that the case serves as a stern reminder to all staff under the ministry’s agencies to never misappropriate welfare funds, whether provided by the state or federal government.
“We have a Malay saying: ‘sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga’ – no matter how clever the squirrel jumps, it will eventually fall to the ground.
“Sometimes, we see someone suddenly become very wealthy, and we start to question how it happened.
“Often, when they speak too much, the truth reveals itself – and that is where internal investigations begin.
“I have always reminded our staff: we are here to serve those in need, and our responsibility is immense.
“We are entrusted with this duty. Once that trust is broken, it cannot longer be tolerated,” she said.
