Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has urged the private sector to assist the state in reducing the number of extreme poverty cases in Sabah.
The Sabah chief minister said he has instructed the SMJ Secretariat to approach companies to cooperate with the state government in addressing the problem.
“I have instructed the secretariat to encourage thousands of local companies to cooperate.
By hiring one or two individuals from the hardcore poor families on our list, we can solve this problem,” Hajiji said to the Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah today.
“Despite current efforts, there are still over 5,000 households living in extreme poverty,” he added.
Hajiji was responding to a question posed by Sabah opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Senallang) regarding the widespread financial difficulties faced by many Sabahans.
Hajiji acknowledged this issue but emphasized that the current focus was on ending hardcore poverty cases.
He explained that one of the indicators of hardcore poverty is difficulty in obtaining employment due to a lack of education.
Other indicators include having no home or living in a dilapidated home, having a permanent disability, lacking land for agriculture or livestock rearing activities, lacking financial means to pay for basic amenities, not having vehicles, and issues with late birth registration.
Hajiji stressed the importance of clear facts and effective strategies to solve the problems of extreme poverty in Sabah.
He also highlighted the need for sustainable solutions, such as education, employment opportunities, and infrastructure development, to truly address poverty in the state.
Hajiji had previously noted that the number of hardcore poverty cases has decreased by 76.1% from 22,510 heads of households to 5,379 as of June 30 this year.
The figures are based on the e-Kasih data under the National Poverty Data Bank System.
The state has set the household income threshold of RM1,218 to classify the hardcore pooer and identified 13 indicators to validate the extreme poverty status and prioritise aid distribution.
He said the reductions were achieved through various aid and intervention programs that reached 45,998 household members.
