GEORGE TOWN: Penang expects to achieve zero hardcore poverty status by the end of this month as a result of the Federal government’s efforts and initiatives in organising various programmes, including establishing strategic collaboration between agencies.
Penang Bumiputera Participation Coordination Division (BPPBPP), Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) director Dr Syaharudin Shah Mohd Noor said that based on its data, 4,949 people were recorded in the hardcore poor category as of Jan 31.
“But, as a result of all the mitigation programmes being carried out, the total was reduced to 117 people as of April 24. We continued to see positive development and the number is now down to 45 people.
“We expect Penang and two other northern states, Perak and Perlis, to achieve zero hardcore poor status by the end of May,’ he told Bernama after moderating the panel session on “Wacana Sifar Miskin Tegar: Kitaran dan Dimensi’ (Zero Hardcore Poverty Discourse: Cycles and Dimensions) organised by the ICU of the Prime Mi
nister’s Department today.
The panel session is one of the programmes held in conjunction with the 2024 Northern Zone MADANI Rakyat Programme at the Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong near here.
Earlier, while summarising the panel session, Syaharudin Shah said the government’s effort to eradicate hardcore poor was not something rhetorical but rather something that could be implemented with systematic collaboration and coordination.
He said various mitigation measures, including strategic collaboration between agencies, were aimed at minimising data leakage or extreme duplication when distributing aid to the needy.
Commenting on the strategic collaboration between agencies, Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) Synergy Division head Rahmat Ismail, a panellist at the same session, said the Social Synergy programme managed by the agency was an initiative based on strategic collaboration between related agencies to create a more comprehensive social security ecosystem.
He said that, for example, Perkeso will use da
ily road accident data channelled by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to identify if any contributor was involved in any accidents, especially fatal ones.
He added that this was to facilitate the process of providing aid to the next of kin of contributors involved in fatal accidents, such as funeral arrangements that need to be made immediately.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency