Some 60 fishermen in Permatang Damar Laut and Kampung Binjai were treated to Hari Raya goodies by Pusat Perkhidmatan Setempat Nelayan (PPSN) recently.
Among the favourites were the traditional dishes like lemang, rendang and ketupat.
The annual event was well received by the fishermen and their families as the festive mood of Hari Raya is still in the air after nearly two years of lockdown.
PPSN’s contribution of food baskets and other aid to its stakeholders near the Penang South Islands’ site during all major cultural and religious celebrations has become a tradition.
This practice is aimed at spreading festive cheer and fostering stronger ties with members of the local community, namely the south Penang Island fishermen.
Lending support was the state assemblyman for Batu Maung Dato Abdul Halim Hussain who is also the State Exco for Domestic & International Trade, Consumer Affairs & Entrepreneurship Development.
“The well being of the fishermen is among the top priority of the state government and we are planning several initiatives for the community’s benefit.
“One of the initiatives is the building of a temporary jetty with storage facilities under the project’s Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) for fishermen, who are now using the riverbanks of Sungai Bayan Lepas to berth their boats and store their equipment,” said Halim.
All this while, the fishermen have had to build their own facilities without proper equipment. The construction is targeted to begin in the second half of the year.
“We hope this temporary jetty will make things better and more convenient for the fishermen.
“As the elected representatives here, we will always ensure the interests of fishermen are protected. We also hope the younger generation will see fishing as a career,” said Abdul Halim during his short address.
Joining the festive atmosphere was Bayan Lepas assemblyman YB Azrul Mahathir Aziz, SRS Consortium deputy project director Azmi Bin Mohamad and representatives from the Permatang Damar Laut Village Community Management Council.
