Sabah News Flash

RCKK Signs Friendship Pact

A Friendship Pact was signed between the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu Pearl (RCKK Pearl) and the Rotary Club of Taipei (RCT), the highlight of a five-day trip of RCKK Pearl to Taipei.  The objective of the pact was to foster good relationship between the two organizations and provide an avenue where collaboration of activities can be channeled.  RCKK President Datuk Noni Said signed the pact in behalf of the all-women club and RCT President Stephen Tan for RCT.  Discussions are being made between the two clubs for a possible joint undertaking for some community projects in Sabah.

In an effort to promote Sabah as a tourist destination among the RCT members, the latest video clip of the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) was shown and STB brochures were also handed out.

Poverty Eradication Still Target for Next Year

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman said that poverty eradication is still the priority and target of the State Government for next year.  This is explicitly reflected in the State Budget 2017 wherein RM394.39 million has been allocated for this purpose.  During the unveiling of the 2017 budget at the State Assembly, Friday, he said that it is their desire to attain zero poverty rate gradually but continuously, citing the decrease in poverty incidence from 2012 to 2014.

Musa had high hopes for the poverty eradication programmes being implemented by the state.  One such project that have quite some success already is the Mini Estet Sejahtera (MESEJ) project on various sectors – agriculture, aquaculture and micro.  MESEJ has two aspects – housing assistance and income generation.  At present, there are already 52 MESEJ projects across the state and during his visits to various beneficiaries, people expressed to him their gratitude for taking them out of the clutches of poverty.

There are also programmes for the improvement of backward villages that focus on three main development aspects – empowering the people, economic development and uplifting the quality of life.  In the 2017 budget, RM1.5million is allocated for entrepreneurial skills improvement in the rural communities.

Musa also disclosed that there are funds allocated for the Sabah State Library in the amount of RM36.91million.  The Tanjung Aru Library is also expected to be operational next year.  The library will be one of Sabah’s icon of the collaboration of the private and public sectors and also its green technology and people-friendly architecture.

The government will also start the 2 Years Exit Programme (2YEP).  A grant of RM2700 will be given as capital to productive beneficiaries hoping that they will be self-reliant after two years.

Healing Seminar Organized by LJCCC

The second Inner Healing and Transformation Seminar for 2016 was conducted at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre, Kota Kinabalu, last November 17-19.  Organized by the Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community (LJCCC), it was attended by around 40 people who underwent five input sessions on biblical foundations of the self, causes of life’s pain and how to be healed and transformed.  Counselling and confession followed the fifth session and the seminar concluded with the sixth session that was in preparation for the healing prayer ministry.

LJCCC has been conducting this bi-annual seminar for ten years now and it always elicits a favorable response from the attendees.  Those who have attended were encouraged to attend a follow-up session on a talk about community lifestyle.