By Ling Hui
BINTULU, Nov 2: Twenty-four local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have come together under Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah to form the Bintulu Women Action (BWA) group today.
One of BWA’s first goals is to set up a handicraft centre in Bintulu, emulating the Miri Handicraft Centre.
Fatimah said the proposed Bintulu Handicraft Centre would be a hub to showcase and market local handicrafts and food products produced by locals.
“The ministry will guide them on how to go about it, and in two months, we will come together again to bring the proposal to BDA (Bintulu Development Authority).
“One of the strengths of BWA is that, among these NGOs, there are some who are already supplying their handicraft products to the Malaysian Craft Council.
“So the products are there. Now we only need to make it more organised so that it (Bintulu Handicraft Centre) can be sustainable,” she told reporters after the meeting with the NGOs at a hotel here earlier today.
The 24 NGOs involved include the Bintulu Elderly Service Association, Bintulu Chinese Women Association, Koperasi Wawasan Ibu Tunggal, Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) Bintulu, and various women groups and excos of political parties in Bintulu.
Fatimah said the Sarawak government recognises the complementary work done by the NGOs to contribute to community wellbeing.
During the meeting, she said, the ministry also briefed the NGOs on the availability of government grants and programmes that can help them carry out their voluntary works.
Also present at the meeting were Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali and Lingga assemblywoman Dayang Noorazah Awang Sohor. — DayakDaily
