PASIR SALAK, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The Perak state government approved 960 applications under the Sejahtera Komuniti MADANI (SejaTi MADANI) initiative for the Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) last year involving an allocation of RM96 million.
Perak State Development Office deputy director Mazlan Zurin Zulkifli said they received 1,246 applications since the programme's launch on March 25 last year, adding that about 200 applications are expected to be approved in the first quarter of this year.
"The Menteri Besar (Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad) has been urging district offices across the state to continue receiving applications for the SejaTi MADANI programme," he said, adding that village heads have been looking into suitable projects to carry out under the programme.
He spoke to reporters today after officiating the freshwater fish project using canvas under the SejaTi MADANI initiative at Kampung Sungai Galah.
Launched last year, SejaTi MADANI is an initiative by the Unity Government to stimulate economic activities for communities to increase their income. It provides funding between RM50,000 and RM100,000 for projects in agriculture and food, sewing and handicrafts, herbs and health, tourism and hospitality, and green and recycling activities.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2025, announced that the government had set aside RM1 billion for the programme.
Meanwhile, Kampung Makmur/Sungai Galah JPKK chairman Mohamad Fauzi Shaharuddin said 13 participants are involved in the catfish and ikan puyu (climbing perch) farming project, which is a collaboration with the Pasir Salak Community College launched October last year.
"A total of 33,000 catfish fry and 20,000 ikan puyu fry were released into the farming ponds, and it will take three to six months before we can market the fish," he said.
One of the participants, Ahmad Redwan Ariff, 50, said he is leveraging his eight years of experience in managing catfish farming in cages, adding that market demand for catfish is encouraging, as the freshwater fish is popular among the Malays, Chinese, and Indians.
-- BERNAMA
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