KOTA KINABALU: There is a decrease of 42 per cent in the number of households classified as hardcore poor in Sabah with 12,555 households still under this category as of March 31 this year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the new statistics are based on the number of household members, their income, assistance they received and other changes such as deaths and demography.

He said a household is categorised as hardcore poor if the members in the household's combined income is RM1,218 and below.

"To coordinate the hardcore poverty eradication programme in the state, the state government has established two committees: the main committee and the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Technical Committee, to coordinate and monitor the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme in Sabah by 2024 or 2025.

"The Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme in Sabah will be implemented in phases, including short-, medium- and long-term programmes," he said during the question-and-answer session during the state assembly sitting here.

Alias Sani (Warisan-Sekong) had asked what are the government's measures for Sabah to stop being listed as a poor state.

Hajiji said those programmes, which involve 27 agencies, will cover employment, entrepreneurship, housing, education and welfare aspects.

"One of the programmes under the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme in Sabah is the MySMJ Jobs Programme.

"Based on locked figure data, it was found that 9,215 household heads, or 41 per cent, have no educational certificates.

"This has limited the ability of household heads to seek job opportunities, forcing them to engage in seasonal work such as fishing, farming and labour in villages.

"The MySMJ Jobs Programme will focus on providing job opportunities to household heads and members registered in the eKasih system to provide income sources and economic improvement to the hardcore poor in the state."

The Federal Government is also implementing poverty eradication programmes such as the People's Income Initiative Program (IPR) and Additional Economic Activities Program (AET).

Projects currently being implemented under the IPR include the Polybag Chilli Planting Project through the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme (BMT) in Kampung Pelakat, Sipitang; the MD2 Pineapple Planting Project through INTAN in Kampung Gana, Kota Marudu and the Vending Machine Pilot Project under INSAN at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

For the AET Programme, the government, through the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS), is implementing the MD2 pineapple planting program on Banggi Island.

"I urge more companies in the state to step forward and contribute to the state government's efforts to provide space and opportunities for the hardcore poor in realising the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme in Sabah by the end of 2024 or 2025.

" This is a human issue that requires the cooperation of all, and I have requested companies in Sabah, large or small, to take lists from e-Kasih to provide employment opportunities," he said, adding there are thousands of companies in the state.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/1041009/hardcore-poverty-sabah-reduced-42-cent-says-cm