Govt wants to eradicate hardcore poverty by end 2025 - Mustapa

TUARAN: The government wants to eradicate hardcore poverty, involving 195,664 families in the country, by the end of 2025 through the Keluarga Malaysia hardcore poverty eradication programme (BMTKM).

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said through BMTKM, the hardcore poor families would be given assistance to improve their lives, and their family development would be monitored, especially their children's education.

He said of the total 195,664 hardcore poor families in the country, the highest number was recorded in Sarawak with 58,611 families, followed by Sabah (31,598 families), Kelantan (28,553 families) and Kedah (15,964 families).

"Generally, the hardcore poor are those getting small income , just enough for them to survive, and we want to eliminate hardcore poverty by the end of 2025, which means at the beginning of 2026 we want to declare that there are no more hardcore poor families in Malaysia.

"We want the (BMTKM) aid to be effective so that they can get out of hardcore poverty. This programme is not only gauged in terms of income, we also want a change of mindset such as making sure their children go to school," he told a press conference here today.

Earlier, Mustapa held a meeting with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and then went to visit Kampung Penimbawan here which is among the 10 localities selected for the implementation of Phase One of BMTKM in the state.

Other localities are Kampung Penangah in Tongod; Kampung Bongkol (Pitas); Kampung Sembirai (Kota Belud); Kampung Tandek (Kota Marudu); Kampung Pelakat (Sipitang); Kampung Binsulok (Beaufort); Kampung Tetabuan (Beluran); Kampung Kaingaran (Ranau); and Kampung Lima (Nabawan).

According to Mustapa, said 80 localities in the country, each with 50 families, have been identified for implementation of Phase One of BMTKM.

He said implementation of Phase one involved 10 localities and 10 localities Sarawak, with the remaining localities in the peninsula.

"This year, two more phases are implemented, so there are three phases, involving a total of 240 localities," he said.

On the mechanism to be implemented to bring the affected families out of the hardcore poor, Mustapa said the BMTKM was implemented in collaboration with the state government, district offices and the agencies.

"Every locality has certain needs and strategies. Like Kampung Penimbawan, it is a fishing village, so we provide assistance such as fishing equipment and we will also help them to carry other activities, like livestock farming, which will be identified by the agencies involved," he added.

-- BERNAMA