Effectiveness of COVID-19 aid delivery mechanisms in Sabah needs to be improved

SANDAKAN: The effectiveness of aid delivery mechanisms to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Sabah needs to be improved, said Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Information chief Khairul Firdaus Akbar.

He said immediate measures needed to be taken following the alarming increase in the number of cases in the state.

"The Sabah Bersatu official State Leadership Body (BPN) meeting (in Kota Kinabalu yesterday) discussed various matters following the request of Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor, who is also Sabah Bersatu chairman, to get grassroots feedback on the people’s problems, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some immediate actions should be taken, including increasing the involvement of delivery machinery to assist existing government employees from the District Office, Social Welfare Department and local authorities,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

Khairul Firdaus said apart from that, the detection system of the people affected by access and resources of food needs also should be streamlined.

As of yesterday, Sabah recorded 616 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total number of active cases to 16,614.

On the Sabah 2021 Budget which will be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly this month, he said a BPN Special Task Force had been formed to formulate recommendations and proposals to the state government in relation to the input and filling of the budget.

“The meeting agreed that among the main thrusts to be considered are the welfare and well-being of the people as well as the state's economic resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

-- BERNAMA