Sabah to launch 'social time bank' in July to encourage volunteerism

Photo: Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has developed a Social Time Bank system which is expected to be launched in July this year, says Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

The Head of State said this system allows awards or points in forms of credit hours that could be exchanged with certain offered items.

"This is to give a lifetime record to volunteers and to encourage volunteerism among the community as well as government and public agencies in social services," he said during his opening remarks for the Sabah State Assembly sitting on Monday (May 22).

This sitting will run until Thursday (May 25).

"This system is expected to be launched in July," Juhar said, adding that this is part of the many community development and people-centric initiatives that the state is working on achieving.

Two other such initiatives are those that could help increase the economy of single mothers and women under the B40 category which would also be implemented, he said.

These programmes were part of the 'Program Santuni Komuniti' that aimed to increase the productivity and sales of products of these women and the production of instant food packs for displaced natural disaster victims, he said.

In Juhar’s opening speech, he also touched on the various initiatives taken by the government to boost the economy and improve the living conditions of the people in Sabah as well as their plans for the state’s economic, environmental and social security.

In Juhar’s opening speech, he also touched on the various initiatives taken by the government to boost the economy and improve the living conditions of the people in Sabah as well as their plans for the state’s economic, environmental and social security.

These include continuing to boost tourism promotions and initiate direct flights from more partner nations to and from Sabah, putting more focus on eco-tourism, upgrading of tourism facilities especially at tourism hotspots and emphasising more on Sabah’s culture and heritage.

Areas like agriculture, rubber industries, increasing self-sustenance rate, eradicating dangerous and fatal zoonotic diseases, expanding the fisheries and marine industry, as well as continuously encouraging upskilling, reskilling and vocational training are also part of the government’s plans.

Juhar said information technology, satellite development, connectivity, and development of other related fields would also be pushed and focused on.

"Infrastructure and facilities must be maintained and upgraded to support the ongoing developments in Sabah," he said.

He mentioned land management initiatives, poverty eradication programmes, youth empowerment and better care for the underprivileged including the disabled as part of the state’s agenda to focus on among other matters as well.