MORE than 2,200 participants in the government's People's Income Initiative (IPR) have achieved key income or sales milestones, including 1,322 agricultural entrepreneurs who are now earning at least RM2,000 a month.
As at Aug 31, 2026, a total of 6,781 participants from hardcore poor, poor and B40 households had been involved in IPR programmes nationwide, according to Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
In a written reply to Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan in the Dewan Rakyat today, the ministry said 2,034 participants had joined the IPR-INTAN Agricultural Entrepreneur Initiative, which supports viable farming projects such as MD2 pineapples, fertigation chillies, maize and eggplants.
Of these, 1,322 participants, or 65 per cent, had achieved the programme's target of earning at least RM2,000 in additional monthly income.
Under the IPR-INSAN Food Entrepreneur Initiative, 1,228 participants had benefited from the programme, with 929, or 76 per cent, recording cumulative sales of more than RM2,000 during its implementation.
Some participants had achieved significantly higher sales, with individuals operating at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Machang and Sungai Buloh Hospital each recording average monthly sales of more than RM13,000.
Akmal said another 890 participants had benefited from the IPR-IKHSAN Service Operator Initiative, under which they received monthly wage top-ups to raise their income to RM2,000.
Separately, 2,629 heads of households or household members from hardcore poor families had benefited from the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme (BMT), generating average additional monthly income of between RM1,000 and RM3,000 through entrepreneurship, agriculture and service-based projects.
Akmal said IPR was designed to complement existing poverty eradication programmes by providing participants with in-kind assistance, financial education and skills training to help them undertake sustainable income-generating activities.
The initiative aims to enable participants to earn an additional RM2,000 a month.
It expressed appreciation for the support received from various parties in implementing IPR, saying the programme was expected to benefit participants, their household members and the wider community.
Kerteh CCS Hub Development To Be Phased
Meanwhile, Akmal told the Lower House that development of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in Kerteh, Terengganu, will be carried out in phases, with infrastructure and storage capacity plans dependent on technical and commercial readiness as the offshore Lawit gas field is expected to remain in production beyond 2035.
The Minister said Petronas had conducted an initial assessment of the proposed Kerteh CCS hub and identified the Lawit field, off the Terengganu coast, as having strategic potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) storage.
However, its continued gas production capability means the development of the hub's infrastructure and storage capacity will be planned and implemented in stages by Petronas.
He said the initial phase of Malaysia's CCS hub development would instead focus on Kuantan, although industries in Terengganu could participate in the CCUS value chain and benefit from the development.
As at September 2026, the Malaysia Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Agency had issued two offshore assessment permits to PETRONAS-related applicant companies to evaluate the suitability of geological formations for CO2 storage, both focusing on sites off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
The agency was established following the enforcement of the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Act 2025 (Act 870) on Oct 1 last year. It is responsible for developing and implementing CCUS policies, as well as regulating activities through the issuance of permits and licences.
In a written parliamentary reply to Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed @ Hashim (PN-Kuala Terengganu), the ministry said the government was also undertaking a pilot CO2 capture project in the iron and steel industry in Kemaman, Terengganu.
The initiative aims to establish a baseline cost for the industry to assess the potential of CCUS technology as a measure to mitigate carbon emissions and encourage wider participation by heavy industries in decarbonisation efforts.
Akmal said he is expected to launch the Malaysia CCUS Roadmap 2050: Towards Green Economy by the end of this month, outlining the phased development of the country's CCUS industry up to 2050.
In addition, studies are under way to identify CO2 emission clusters and suitable business models to support a competitive CCUS industry. A separate study focusing on strategic proposals and development opportunities for the East Coast region is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The study will assess the potential for developing CCUS industrial clusters and their socioeconomic benefits across the value chain, including spillover opportunities for Terengganu.
Akmal added the ministry would continue engaging stakeholders, including state governments, before finalising development plans, with the phased expansion of the CCS ecosystem expected to support the energy transition and Malaysia's ambition of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. - - November 12, 2026
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