Samson (second from right) and Masri (second from left) handing over vouchers to Nor Hashim. Also present was MBS secretary Mas Midyawan Yahya (left).
CONCERNED with the increase in cost of living, the Council of Datuk Dato’ Malaysia (MDDM) has pledged to provide assistance to some 1,000 children from the B40 group through various programmes this year.
MDDM secretary-general Datuk Samson David Maman said they provided a RM200 voucher to 50 children in Negri Sembilan for them to buy school uniforms, sports attire, shoes, a bag and stationery.
“After this programme in Negri Sembilan, which is a joint collaboration with Seremban City Council (MBS), MDDM will be looking at assisting students in other states such as Johor and Melaka.
“Our intention is to help the students so that their parents are not financially burdened with the new school term due to start in March,” he said.
The students can redeem the vouchers at participating outlets.
Earlier, Samson and Seremban mayor Datuk Masri Razali handed over RM10,000 worth of vouchers to Negri Sembilan Education Department deputy director Nor Hashim Othman at MBS headquarters.
Samson said MDDM’s members decided to chip in although its welfare committee was only set up a month ago.
He said MDDM, through its disaster relief committee, donated 60 water jets last year to the Terengganu government for flood clean-up operations.
Last month, it worked with the National Disaster Management Agency for a similar programme in Bintulu, Sarawak.
“We plan to carry out programmes in collaboration with foundations and other corporate sponsors to benefit more B40 students.
“We hope to assist a few hundred students in Johor,” said Samson.
The city council, Masri said, had been helping B40 folk through its own programmes.
“MBS has as part of its corporate social responsibility carried out programmes for the B40 community through residents associations, and we are glad to be a part of this collaboration too.
“We hope to work with MDDM in future on programmes that can benefit those in the lower-income category,” he added.
