SABAH has seen a dramatic decrease in hardcore poverty, thanks to a targeted poverty reduction formula developed by the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) secretariat.
According to Datuk Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai, chief coordinator officer of the SMJ secretariat, the number of Sabah households in hardcore poverty dropped by 37.5% within nine months.
The SMJ secretariat is the agency tasked with ending poverty in Sabah.
On September 13, 2023, there were 22,510 households classified as hardcore poor, but by June 6, 2024, this number had fallen to 8,037.
Similarly, the number of individuals living in hardcore poverty decreased from 94,315 to 43,641 over the same period.
These figures are based on the e-Kasih list for Sabah. The e-Kasih list is under the National Poverty Data Bank System.
Hardcore poverty in Sabah made headlines after it was revealed in parliament on March 14 that the hardcore poverty rate in the state was 1.25% while the national rate was 0.2%.
Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli said the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 revealed that eight Sabah districts had a higher rate than the national rate, with Tongod being the highest with 5.9%.
This was followed by Beluran (5%), Pitas (4.8%), Kinabatangan (4.6%), Kota Marudu (4%), Tuaran (2.6%), as well as Ranau and Lahad Datu at 2.4%.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has disputed the figure, stating the state’s figures are different from what has been mentioned by Rafizi.
At the Kaamatan Harvest Festival closing ceremony, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim noted that Sabah has been able to reduce its hardcore poverty number from 22,000 to just 9,000.
He wants Sabah to resolve the problem by the end of July. But Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun has noted that the July deadline was merely advice to Sabah to work hard on ending the poverty problem in the state.
A new approach to defining poverty
According to Rosmadi, the SMJ secretariat developed a new formula to accurately define hardcore poverty and this was subsequently endorsed by the Sabah cabinet.
Among the baselines, households earning below RM1,218 a month were defined as hardcore poor.
Additional indicators include lack of housing, unemployment, physical disabilities, critical ailments, financial instability, lack of land or vehicles, absence of aid, and lack of education.
“Our system is based on strict qualification criteria.
“Those who do not meet these criteria are disqualified from receiving public aid,” said Rosmadi.
This approach ensures that only those genuinely in need benefit from government assistance.
Rosmadi also highlighted the importance of supporting individuals who have recently been disqualified from the hardcore poor category.
“We must provide detailed aid to help them transition,” he said.
For instance, fishermen require boats to qualify for engine aid, while farmers must have farmland before receiving fertiliser assistance.
Uncovering fraudulent claims
After the disqualification process, SMJ secretariat started the profiling process and has uncovered several instances of individuals falsely claiming to be poor.
“We found luxury vehicles and semi-concrete houses in some of these households,” Rosmadi revealed. “It’s crucial that aid goes to those who truly need it.”
He also noted that some listed for assistance under the hardcore category have two-storey houses and some owned two lots of land.
In addition to financial assistance, Rosmadi said the SMJ secretariat also took the initiative to provide housing, education, and job opportunities to the poor.
The housing facility comes under the SMJ Rumah Mesra assistance, which is funded by the special grant given to Sabah.
“We are also compelling all institutions or companies to hire those from the hardcore poor categories. For instance, the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department has hired several youths from these categories to work for them in places like mosques and schools,” he said. – June 23, 2024.
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