RM2.814 mln set aside for 469 KRT to strengthen community leadership in Penang

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Ministry of Unity has allocated RM2.814 million to 469 active Rukun Tetangga Community (KRT) in Penang to strengthen the community leadership through core values, strategies and high-impact programmes.

Its minister, Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said the amount was a part of the RM50 million grant provided by the federal government to 8,330 KRT nationwide to carry out the initiatives under the Rukun Tetangga Community Leadership Empowerment Plan 2021-2030.

"With this allocation, all levels of the community will be involved through the Rukun Tetangga 2022 Community Work programmes and activities," she told reporters after presenting the state-level Prosperous Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) KRT grants here today.

She added that the Rukun Tetangga Leadership Empowerment Plan 2021-2030 was her ministry's initiative to further empower and strengthen the role of KRT as a voluntary organisation in the community.

During her working visit to Penang, Halimah also launched the "Tabika Perpaduan Dihatiku 2022" programme at the Sungai Bakap Tabika (pre-school) Perpaduan by handing over starter kits to the pupils and the Tabika Perpaduan Coordinating Committee.

According to her, the ministry will always improve the education quality at Tabika Perpaduan and planned to increase the number of tabika nationwide shortly.

She said that so far there are 1,781 Tabika Perpaduan nationwide, with 37,000 children.

"We are conducting a study to open more Tabika Perpaduan. This will be done according to the request or needs of parents in an area," she said.

The ministry has allocated RM271,260, which will benefit 2,466 children in Tabika Perpaduan in Penang, to ease parents' burden in preparing their children for school life.

-- BERNAMA