KOTA KINABALU – A total of 86,766 individuals have been categorised as hardcore poor in Sabah, with the actual figures believed to be higher following the soaring unemployment rate in the state.
State Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joachim Gunsalam said the Sabah Industrial Development Ministry is open to cooperation with any parties in resolving the poverty issue in the state, as the problem goes across the political divide.
“We have come up with several plans to eradicate poverty in Sabah. But we are open to engaging with members of the opposition, as this is a joint problem faced by our people.
“We are open to working together in resolving this problem,” he said today when answering a question posed by Datuk Ewon Benedick (Kadamaian-Upko) at the state assembly sitting here.
Benedick had earlier pointed out that poverty in Sabah could have reached a tipping point due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He then questioned whether the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led state government would be willing to work with the opposition on the matter.
Gunsalam said as of December 1, the number of those living in absolute poverty in Sabah stood at 41,490 individuals, hardcore poor (24,864 individuals), and poor households (20,412 individuals).
He said the figures were based on the new poverty line income introduced by the Statistics Department in 2019.
In 2019, the Statistics Department revealed that Sabah recorded the highest levels of poverty in the state at 19.5%, followed by Kelantan (12.4%), Sarawak (9%), Kedah (8.8%), Perak (7.3%), and Terengganu (6.1%). – The Vibes, December 7, 2021
