KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty financially vulnerable families in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur have received a helping hand under a joint charity programme by Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-isteri (Bakti) and Badan Amal dan Kasih Selangor (Kasih).
Under the Sentuhan Kasih Bersama Bakti programme, each family received RM500 in financial assistance and essential supplies worth RM100.
The initiative involved goodwill visits to senior citizens, bedridden patients, single mothers and underprivileged households in the parliamentary constituencies of Gombak, Kota Raja and Kuala Selangor, providing not only financial aid but also emotional support.
Bakti chairperson Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis also made personal contributions to recipients during the visits yesterday.
“As wives and companions of ministers, including former ministers, we have a responsibility to help the people,” she said.
Hamidah said helping disadvantaged communities should be a shared responsibility extending beyond charitable organisations to individuals and elected representatives who could offer assistance.
“That should be the duty and responsibility of those of us who are fortunate enough to be healthy,” said Hamidah, who is the wife of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Bakti honorary treasurer Datin Seri Jessica Lim said the organisation allocated between RM800,000 and RM1mil annually for its charitable programmes.
Lim, the wife of MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, said Bakti had faced funding challenges since donations stopped following the change of government in 2018.
“With no source of donations, we survive on rental income and fixed deposit income,” she said, adding that the organisation had to keep operating costs low to sustain its charitable work.
Despite the constraints, Lim said helping the less fortunate remained a strong personal motivation for her and other Bakti members.
“I am thankful to have an understanding husband who allowed me to retire early and be in a better position to help the less fortunate,” she added.
Kasih Selangor president Datin Hanizam Harun said grassroots leaders are crucial in identifying needy households, adding that visits offer vital emotional support alongside cash and aid.
She said the visits offered more than financial aid, providing companionship and encouragement to families facing difficult circumstances.
“Sometimes, what people need most is a personal touch. When we visit them, we want to encourage them and help lift their spirits,” she said.
Among the beneficiaries was Siti Fatimah Tamrin, 44, from Kampung Kemensah in Hulu Kelang, whose health problems have placed considerable strain on her family.
Diagnosed with diabetes five years ago, she undergoes dialysis three times a week at a centre in Setiawangsa. Her right leg was amputated about three years ago.
Her husband, Muhammad Faizal Baharum, 46, quit work to care for her full-time, while their daughter attends primary school and their SPM-leaver son works part-time to help support the household.
Their son, who recently completed the SPM examination, is working part-time while considering further studies.
“I never expected anyone from an organisation to come and help me, so I feel very touched and grateful.
“I am grateful for the assistance and donated goods because I really need them. They also help ease my burden,” Siti Fatimah said.
