The Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) has allocated RM12 million for food baskets to 60,080 Orang Asli heads of household nationwide starting Saturday.
Deputy Rural Development Minister Abdul Rahman Mohamad said basic essentials such as rice, cooking oil, wheat flour, salt, sugar, tea, sardines and soy sauce would be provided to the Orang Asli during the total lockdown.
Based on records during the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) 1.0 last year, the Orang Asli community was facing loss of sources of income and having their food supply cut off.
“Jakoa hopes that this food basket assistance will be of help to the affected Orang Asli during the lockdown period and ease their burden,” he said in a statement today.
Following a special session of the National Security Council on Covid-19 management, last Friday, it was decided that the first phase of a total lockdown of the social and economic sectors nationwide would be implemented for a period of 14 days starting today.
Rahman said the aid distribution would be implemented in accordance with the standard operating procedure through each village head (tok batin) and monitored by the district Jakoa officers to ensure that the aid reaches each head of the household concerned.
“The World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a pandemic on March 12, 2020. Hence, it’s every individual’s responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of the people, including the Orang Asli community nationwide,” he added.
- Bernama
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