DEBAK: Various religious activities organised at mosques and suraus throughout the month of Ramadan continue to enliven the spirit of Muslims in the Saribas constituency.

Deputy Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Mohammad Razi Sitam said that every Ramadan, the local community is always active in performing worship and participating in religious programmes organised at the village level.

“As usual every year, every Ramadan, the Saribas area is very active with various programmes related to fasting.

“The mosque and surau are also always filled with religious activities such as Tarawih prayers and breaking of fast programmes,” he said.

He said this when met by reporters after the Breaking of Fast Event organised by the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth Saribas Branch in collaboration with the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) and the Serembang Village Mosque, here, on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Saribas Assemblyman also expressed gratitude through the warm reception of the breaking-of-fast event which was also attended by people from various walks of life, including the Iban community, reflecting the strong spirit of unity among the local residents.

Commenting on the proposal to hold simultaneous elections involving several states, he said the matter should be decided by the top leadership of the main parties in the country.

Datuk Mohammad Razi explained that the proposal to hold simultaneous elections for several states such as Johor, Melaka and Sarawak has been made, but its implementation requires in-depth research.

“For me, this matter is up to the party’s top leadership. There is also a view that simultaneous elections may involve higher costs for the Election Commission (EC), but any decision must be made taking into account the interests of all parties,” he explained.

In another development, he also welcomed the increase in the Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS) allocation involving an amount of RM640 million.

He described the increase in assistance as a clear commitment by the Sarawak Government in helping to ease the burden of the people.

He added that the SKAS assistance will be distributed in stages to eligible recipients including singles, senior citizens, private individuals and heads of households.

According to him, the phased payment approach is seen as a practical measure to help Sarawakians manage their daily needs throughout the year. -UKASnews