Over 100 families in Kota Sentosa receive Chinese New Year Reunion Meal aid

KUCHING (Feb 10): More than 100 recipients in the Kota Sentosa constituency benefited from the ‘Sharing Blessings – Chinese New Year Reunion Meal Support 2026’ programme, aimed at ensuring underprivileged households can enjoy a proper reunion dinner during the festive season.

Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap said the programme initially targeted 100 recipients, but the final number exceeded that figure following additional distributions to families in the Stampin resettlement scheme.

He said recipients were identified with the help of community leaders and penghulu familiar with the backgrounds of local residents.

“They are the ones who go out and identify those who truly need assistance,” he said when met by reporters at Farley Kuching Supermarket here on Tuesday.

The programme, organised in collaboration with Farley Kuching Supermarket, focused specifically on providing food items meant for a Chinese New Year reunion dinner.

Yap said the aid packages did not include necessities such as rice or cooking oil, but instead consisted of vegetables, meat, mandarin oranges, carbonated drinks and other cooking ingredients typically prepared for reunion meals.

He added that the initiative was not limited to Chinese New Year, but is also extended to other major festive celebrations such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Gawai Dayak.

“I don’t want people to feel that they cannot celebrate these festivals properly with their families,” he said.

Yap also clarified that the assistance was limited to residents within the Kota Sentosa constituency and that applications were no longer open.

Ahead of the festive season, he reminded members of the public returning to their hometowns to prioritise road safety.

“Drive carefully, it is better to be late than sorry,” he said.

Also present were Kota Sentosa penghulu Lai Boon Khee, Farley Group chairman Lau Siew Whye, Farley Kuching manager Ian Lau, and other representatives.