JOHOR BAHRU: The Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) is targeting 1,668 families from the bottom 40 per cent of the household income group (B40) in Iskandar Malaysia (IM) to benefit from the IM Makmur Programme.
Chief executive Datuk Ismail Ibrahim said RM4 million was allocated under the Iskandar Malaysia Social Projects Fund for the implementation of the programme.
“We are thankful that so far, more than 300 targeted families have been directly involved in this initiative and more than 1,200 of their family members have benefitted from the implementation of this programme with their average income increasing 58 per cent.
“We are targeting 1,668 B40 families and 6,672 family members have benefitted from this initiative,“ he said in a statement Monday.
Ismail said the core component of the IM Makmur programme was based on improving the skills of the people who had constraints in terms of their ability to earn a living to help increase their household income.
He said apart from the low -income group, the programme also assist people with physical disabilities and single mothers.
“Various types of training, including motor mechanics, entrepreneurship, beauty care, food preparation and handling, and maternity care are offered under this programme,“ he said.
Ismail said the IM Makmur was divided into three types of schemes, namely an Income Generation Scheme, a Second Generation Education Assistance and an IM Makmur Fund Assistance.
He said the programme included short-term training courses to improve knowledge and skills for employment and business, incentives to employers for recruitment, the Social Enterprise Community.
It also provides funds for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or social organisations to implement socio-economics programmes for the target group, pre-school incentives, and tuition fee assistance for candidates preparing for the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR), Form 3 Examination (PT3), and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
IRDA will continue to strengthen the programme to extend help to more people in the community.
Ismail IRDA has received good cooperation from Yayasan Penyayang Iskandar Puteri and will continue to have strategic cooperation with related entities.
“Strategic efforts will also continue to be made to expand the offerings under the IM Makmur programme to all parts of Iskandar Malaysia so that more B40 families would get benefits and enjoy the facilities provided,” he said.- Bernama
