Integrated system needed to restructure eKasih - MPN

MPN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the council recommended for an integrated eKasih system to be developed to facilitate the process of distributing aid in a comprehensive and centralised manner.

"Today, almost all agencies and ministries provide assistance, but there are still individuals or groups who are left behind or sidelined.

"At the same time, some have received help from two or three different agencies," he told a press conference after officiating the 'National Seminar: National Recovery and Social Inclusion' here today.

eKasih is a database of poor families created at the national level to help plan, implement and monitor poverty programmes, and contains information on poverty which includes individuals' profiles, programmes or assistance received by household heads and household members from aid agencies.

Muhyiddin cited the system in Australia where when a person falls into poverty or is laid off from work, the system would be triggered automatically and aid distributed immediately.

He said that by integrating the data of eligible recipients from all agencies under the same system, the aid distribution process including subsidies could be coordinated and distributed transparently and efficiently.

"This mechanism will function as a social safety net that can identify short, medium and long-term assistance to eligible citizens in need of assistance. This can reduce bureaucracy in the aspect of aid delivery, thus optimising the use of the country's finances," he said.

Earlier in his speech at the ceremony, Muhyiddin, who is also chairman of Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA) said the government needed to focus on a more comprehensive and inclusive recovery strategy with a targeted focus on the welfare of the people.

"The responsibility of driving the national recovery process requires synergy and a nationwide approach with the involvement of all parties from the government, the private sector, industry experts, academia, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and people from all walks of society," he said.

The one-day seminar organised by MPN and MASA, among other things, aims to provide a platform for stakeholders among academics, industry players, policymakers and civil society to gather input on the recovery of the country's economy.

The scope of presentations and studies include the issues of poverty, empowerment of the vulnerable, increasing the resilience of micro, small and medium enterprises, the recovery of the tourism sector and sustainability of the green economy.