KUCHING: A set of identical triplets and two pairs of twin boys took the limelight at the handover of the Sarawak Endowment Fund (EFS) here on Monday (June 8).
The babies received RM1,000 each under the EFS, while their mothers received RM450 in postnatal care assistance from the state government.
The triplets' mother Nurul Atiqkah Basri said the EFS assistance would help secure a bright future for her children.
The fund, which provides trust savings for newborn Sarawakians, can only be withdrawn when the child reaches 18 years of age and is meant to help with further education, career or business capital.
"I'm thankful that my children have this assistance of RM1,000 each.
"I hope they will eventually use it for further studies," she said.
Nurul Atikqah, 27, shared that she did not expect to have triplets as her first scan showed twins.
"We were very surprised when the next scan showed a third baby.
"Looking after triplets is challenging, especially at night. My mother helps to look after them in the daytime," she said, adding that the triplets were her first children.
State Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, who handed over the assistance, said EFS accounts have been opened for 154,648 Sarawakian children from Jan 1, 2019 to April 30 this year, involving a total allocation of RM154.6mil.
She said EFS applications can be done online starting this year, with the processing time reduced to one month from three to six months previously.
"The online system not only enhances transparency and efficiency, but it also makes it easier for parents to apply," she said.
Fatimah added that more efforts would be made to boost EFS applications, especially in rural areas.
"We will improve the promotion of EFS to eligible parents," she said.
