By William Isau
SIBU, May 26: With an eye on reducing hardcore poverty by 50 per cent by 2026, Sarawak will update the E-kasih database.
According to Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, the said database might currently not reflect the actual number of hardcore poor.
“As of May this year, there are 1,298 names in the E-kasih data base. The figure might not reflect the actual number of hardcore poor as some of them might have improved economically overtime. Their names should not be there anymore,” said the Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister.
Speaking to reporters after officiating at the closing of Wellbest Sarawak Carnival 2024 today, she said her ministry had set up a hardcore poverty eradication taskforce to verify the actual status of those registered in the E-Kasih database.
The taskforce members, she said, comprise of district officers, longhouse chieftains and Village Development And Security Committees (JKKKs).
“What we are doing now (financial aid for the poor) is nothing new but what’s new is that we will identify who are the real hardcore poor in the E-kasih database. For example, the breadwinner of the family might already not be able to earn income for the family due to various reasons such as old age and chronic sickness. It is this category of people (for who) we want to eradicate hardcore poverty,” she stressed.
On the criteria to determine who can be categorised as hardcore poor, she explained that they must show that they are the targeted group for the aid over a consecutive three-month period from June this year.
Besides that, the taskforce would also identify members of the family who are capable of conducting income generating activity.
“We will provide a facility costing up to RM5,000 for them to do that,” said the Dalat assemblywoman. — DayakDaily
