| Daniel Lim |
IN LIGHT of the recent amendment to the Act and Regulations for Pension and Allowance for People with Different Abilities (OKU) which was implemented from January 1, 2018, the Weekend Bulletin spoke to various penghulus and village heads in the Belait District regarding the implication of this move on the residents of their respective mukims and villages.
YB Haji Abdul Hamid bin Haji Mumin, Penghulu of Mukim Liang and a Legislative Council (LegCo) member representing Zone 1 in the Belait District, expressed his gratitude towards Allah the Almighty and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam for enacting such an amendment to aid the OKU by lessening their burden.
“The allowance for eligible OKU recipients aged below 15 will help lessen their burden. We are grateful to His Majesty for the kind act in helping those in need, especially the OKU,” he said.
He said those receiving the allowance should be grateful towards Allah the Almighty and His Majesty, highlighting the importance of taking care of each other as well as for the OKU to use the allowance not only for the benefit of themselves but also to contribute back to the country’s economy.
Supporting the view of YB Haji Abdul Hamid was YB Hanapi bin Mohd Siput, Village Head of Kampong Labi I and a LegCo member representing Zone 2 in the Belait District, who said, “Before the amendment, only those who are 18 years and above were eligible to receive the allowance, and the fact is that many of the OKU are below that age, with some suffering from various forms of difficulty since birth.”
He added that the amendment will cover all the OKU and their families in the country who are less fortunate.
YB Hanapi also urged the public to aid the OKU as public support is just as important as the support from His Majesty, as it will help the less fortunate further enrich their lives and integrate themselves into the wider society, rather than being isolated.
“For this, interaction between the public and the OKU is vital and I believe that the mindset of the public towards the OKU must be positive, which will help them better integrate into the society,” he said.
People with different abilities are able to contribute to the economy by being a part of the small and medium enterprises (SME), either by creating one or working for one, and this will help strengthen the country’s economy in the long run.
Haji Mohd Ibrahim bin Dato Maharaja Setia Dian, Village Head of Kampong Sungai Liang and Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Gani, Acting Village Head of Kampong Lumut 1, also shared the same view.
Haji Mohd Ibrahim said the amendment to the Act will benefit not only the OKU above 18 years but also those below that age. “This will provide a platform for all OKU to improve their lives and help them stand on their own,” he said.
The Weekend Bulletin also sought their thoughts on His Majesty’s vision to create a business-friendly environment and boost entrepreneurship in the nation.
YB Haji Abdul Hamid spoke in length about how banks in the country can aid the micro, small and medium sized entrepreneurs (MSMEs) and encourage entrepreneurship. He referred to His Majesty’s titah in which the monarch noted the government has provided various facilities in assisting MSMEs to exploit the global market, including through the establishment of Bank Usahawan Berhad which is slated to begin its operations early this year.
“The establishment of the Bank Usahawan Berhad is a step forward in providing financial aid to potential MSMEs that are just starting out, and we hope the bank will be able to better cater to them and their products,” he said.
Meanwhile, YB Hanapi said the bank should alleviate the burden of MSMEs. “The lack of aid to MSMEs was one problem that prompted His Majesty to establish the bank. We are truly grateful to be ruled by a kind ruler who cares for his subjects and is willing to bring in changes to better benefit them,” he said.
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