FT Ministry expands MY5 Programme with aim of eradicating urban poverty

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Federal Territories is looking to strengthen the MY5 Programme designed to eradicate urban poverty, besides improving the social safety net system.

Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the 2021 programme covered the aspects of employment through MYJob @ Wilayah, schooling (MYSchoolBus @ Wilayah), basic necessities (MYGrocer @ Wilayah), food (MYFood @ Wilayah) and medicine (MYMedic @ Wilayah).

"We started this programme (around the middle of) last year on a trial and ad-hoc basis in a small capacity, so this year, we will run the programme more widely," he said during the ‘Ruang Bicara’ programme aired on Bernama TV last night.

He said MYJob @ Wilayah would offer more than 3,000 job opportunities to city dwellers, especially those affected by COVID-19, in six areas of employment, namely services, construction, maintenance, cleaning, manufacturing and packaging.

Meanwhile, he said the MYSchoolBus @ Wilayah initiative, which aims to help ease the transportation expenses of school children from the low-income group, will be expanded to 158 low-cost public and private housing areas involving almost 10,000 students.

Annuar said the ministry was also targeting to expand the MYGrocer @ Wilayah programme - which offers the B40 target group to buy kitchen items at prices up to 20 per cent lower - to 158 public and private low-cost housing areas as well as traditional villages around the capital.

"I also hope for more response and strategic cooperation from the private sector to make MYFood @ Wilayah a success in ensuring that free food assistance can be enjoyed by more people in need," he said.

He added that MYMedic @ Wilayah which provides basic treatment and free screening through mobile clinics to the less fortunate city dwellers on a weekly basis, will also be expanded to more areas.

Apart from that, Annuar said the ministry had planned a rice contribution programme through MYBeras @ Wilayah, which will be implemented from Feb 1 until June this year, to alleviate the burden of Federal Territories residents affected by COVID-19.

He said for a start, 23,000 bags of rice donated by corporate bodies and the public will be distributed three times a week through the Federal Territory Residents Representative Council.

-- BERNAMA