Johor Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Khairin-Nisa Ismail.
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The state government will establish Rumah Pesona Wanita Johor to serve as a temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence and divorce.
State Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Khairin-Nisa Ismail (pic) said the women's shelter run by Yayasan Pembangunan Keluarga Darul Ta’zim (YPKDT) is located in Jalan Petri, Johor Bahru and is expected to be operational from June.
"Apart from victims of domestic violence, this home will provide free shelter to women who need assistance, such as those who are in the divorce process and need temporary accommodation if they are from outside the district,” she told reporters after the launch of the Sentuhan Kasih Keluarga Johor 2023 here on Sunday (Feb 26).
The event was officiated by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Khairin-Nisa said the state government will also implement various initiatives, such as the Kasih Suri Aspirasi Keluarga Johor programme, to encourage savings that benefit 12,773 eligible beneficiaries.
She also said that the MIND-X Family and Community Intervention programme will be implemented in all districts statewide, to improve the psychological and mental well-being of the community.
Earlier, Onn Hafiz, when speaking at the event, said that 4,700 people, out of the four million population in the state, were categorised as hardcore poor.
He said in order to ensure that the direction of Johor Maju can be achieved, various agencies, including the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ), need to mobilise their energy to ensure that the number becomes zero by 2027.
He added that the state and federal governments also provided various assistance, including RM10 million from the state government to look after the welfare of the people under the YPKDT, in addition to RM22 million allocation from JKM’s cooperation with the state government, which was also assisted by the federal government.
"Last year, thanks to the combination of all parties, including MAINJ and other non-governmental organisations, under the efforts of the state government, nearly 150,000 people were given assistance. We will continue this effort so that no group is left out, regardless of race and religion,” he said. - Bernama
