KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya remains committed to enhancing the implementation of assistance programmes, particularly in the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak, to help eradicate hardcore poverty.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that implementation in both regions requires a different approach, as it involves longhouse communities and vast rural areas.
“The approach in Sabah and Sarawak is somewhat different, as it involves longhouse settlements. Therefore, the assistance may not necessarily be channelled directly to the head of the household, as is done in Peninsular Malaysia.
“The government is committed to continuously improving the delivery of aid to ensure its effectiveness, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, which have extensive rural areas and unique community structures,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Roy Angau Gingkoi (Gabungan Parti Sarawak–Lubok Antu), who asked what measures the government was taking to reduce hardcore poverty in the interior regions of Sabah and Sarawak.
In response to the original question, Anwar said programmes such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recorded the highest number of recipients, particularly in Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah, reflecting the higher poverty rates in those states.
“According to data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), these states have higher poverty incidences. I also maintain good cooperation with the state governments and have held several discussions with Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to enhance the implementation of necessary programmes and activities,” he added.
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