By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 4: A total of 929 welfare recipients have built businesses and successfully moved beyond the poverty line since Sarawak’s Productive Welfare programme was implemented in 2021, says Minister for Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She said the figure represented 43 per cent of the 2,192 entrepreneurs who had received grants from the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) between 2021 and September 2026.
“From that number, 929 or 43 per cent successful Wellbest entrepreneurs have been produced, and in terms of income, they have exceeded the poverty line.
“This is an achievement, and certainly the government wants to see successes like this,” she said in her speech at the Welfare Micro-Entrepreneur Awards Ceremony 2026 in conjunction with Sarawak Wellbest Carnival 2026 held at MetroCity Convention Centre here today.
During the five-year period, JKMS allocated RM10.9 million in grants to help welfare recipients start or expand their businesses.
Fatimah said the objective of Productive Welfare was to help those who were capable of becoming economically productive so they could increase their income and eventually stop depending on monthly welfare assistance.
The RM5,000 launch grant, she said, was provided in the form of equipment rather than cash, with JKMS ensuring that the equipment matched the entrepreneurs’ actual business needs.
“We make sure that the equipment given through the grant is really what they need. We want to avoid mismatches and wastage,” she said.
But the support does not end once the equipment is handed over.
Fatimah said 546 entrepreneurs were still under JKMS guidance, receiving training, monitoring and follow-up assessments as part of what she described as a “holding hands” process.
“Not just giving grants like that, but there is training and there is a monitoring process — a holding hands process. Guidance, training and monitoring,” she said.
For 2026, JKMS is targeting 350 new entrepreneurs across Sarawak, with 252 or 72 per cent having been approved for grants as of September.
Fatimah said the department would continue supporting entrepreneurs until they were able to sustain themselves.
Once their income remains above the poverty line for the required period, she said, they would no longer need monthly welfare assistance.
She said the progress of Wellbest entrepreneurs was also reflected in their sales, with a combined RM7.9 million recorded through monthly sales reports and promotional sales between January and August 2026.
The Wellbest brand was introduced by JKMS as an identity for products produced by its welfare clients.
Fatimah said the annual Wellbest Carnival, which began in 2015, provided another platform for entrepreneurs to sell directly to customers and introduce their products and services to a wider market.
This year, 100 entrepreneurs from across Sarawak — from Lawas to Telok Melano — took part in the carnival, including 30 in Wellbest Kitchen, 40 selling dry food products, 20 in handicrafts and 10 in services.
As of the third day, the carnival had attracted 9,498 visitors and generated RM301,531.10 in sales.
Meanwhile, 41 of the 42 nominations received for the 2026 Wellbest Entrepreneur Awards were deemed eligible, with six entrepreneurs receiving Diamond awards, 10 Platinum, 10 Gold, nine Silver and six Bronze.
The awards were based on entrepreneurs’ monthly sales, with Diamond being the highest category for monthly sales of RM10,000 and above.
A Wellbest Entrepreneur Icon Award was also presented this year based on criteria including cumulative income, improvement in living standards, entrepreneurial achievements, social responsibility and community involvement.
A Special Award was also introduced for a successful senior citizen welfare micro-entrepreneur who remained productive through agriculture to support his family.
Fatimah said the success of Productive Welfare should not be measured only by the amount of money generated, but by whether welfare recipients were able to rebuild their lives and become self-reliant.
“The return on investment for the welfare micro-entrepreneur programme is not measured only in terms of money, but more importantly in helping our clients rise from their problems, strive on their own, run entrepreneurial projects, earn sales and come out of the cycle of poverty,” she said.
The Awards ceremony was officiated by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
Also present were Deputy Minister for Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Mohamad Razi Sitam; Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak (MINTRED) advisor Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais; and Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKM) director Semawi Mohamad. — DayakDaily
