ISKANDAR PUTERI, Oct 5 — The Johor government will actively look into assisting children who have lost their parents to Covid-19 to ensure their welfare and education are taken care of.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said it was only right for the state government to sympathise and assist these orphaned children.
“Due to the circumstances, the state government will have a special programme for them.
“I am confident that such a programme can assist and look into the children’s welfare and education,” said Hasni to reporters after officiating the Jauhar childcare centre in the state administrative centre in Kota Iskandar here today.
He was responding to questions about the Johor government’s role in looking after orphan children whose parent or parents have died due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Johor has yet to identify the actual number of orphaned children whose parent or parents have died due to the virus.
On September 20, the Dewan Rakyat was told a total of 4,422 children lost a parent or guardian to Covid-19 from March 2020 till September 13 this year, with 154 losing both parents.
Of that number, 154 children were orphaned from January to September 13 this year.
