THE government is looking at integrating all forms of public assistance through the MyKad system to ensure transparency, eliminate duplication and improve coordination between federal, state and zakat agencies.
“Through the MyKad system, we can list all government allocations, including those from state governments, zakat institutions, and other initiatives — all in one portal,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“This will allow us to know exactly how much each family receives”
Anwar said the proposal followed a study in Sentul, which found overlapping aid between federal and zakat programmes due to uncoordinated data.
The system, he added, would be linked to the Padu database to provide real-time information on household income and aid distribution.
He said while current financial aid helped low-income families, the ultimate goal was to help them generate sustainable income and break free from the hardcore poverty cycle.
Anwar said nearly RM20 billion had been channelled towards poverty eradication programmes this year, including RM15 billion under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah initiatives, and RM3.1 billion in assistance from the Social Welfare Department.
He said the minimum wage increase from RM1,200 to RM1,700 was also part of broader efforts to reduce income disparity.
He added that Malaysia’s hardcore poverty rate stood at 0.09 per cent.
“This reflects close cooperation between the federal and state governments, as well as Islamic religious councils. Our focus now is ensuring that no family falls back into poverty once they’ve been lifted out of it.”
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
