Hardcore poverty needs to be eradicated this year - PM

NILAI - Hardcore poverty in the country needs to be eradicated this year, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Therefore, he said the entire government machinery, especially the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and its agencies, must work towards ending it.

"This year, we must eradicate and put an end to hardcore poverty including in Negeri Sembilan," he said when launching the Sentuhan Kasih Desa programme here today.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

The Prime Minister said KKDW is also a strategic ministry that is able to help the people of various races and ethnicities.

He said that the ministry should not only focus on big and mega projects, but rather should try to help the people get out of poverty.

"We cannot just talk about the high speed railway, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, semi-detached buildings, Putrajaya and so on, but the poor don't have enough to buy milk for their children, they don't have enough to buy school clothes, so we have to prioritise that.

"We want the people to see for themselves what the government is doing, including the Negeri Sembilan government, and not to use the political space to attack others," he said.

Meanwhile, he reiterated the call for all school toilets nationwide to be repaired this year.

"If we talk about great economy, the salaries of the ministers, special ambassadors are all high, but the school toilets cannot be repaired, that's why I say we must settle this issue this year for our children," he said. - Bernama