Poverty alleviation initiatives: Monitoring system crucial to ensure allocations reach targeted group

KUALA LUMPUR - Poverty alleviation has long been a central concern in Malaysia, where the government has been making substantial efforts to eradicate the issue and uplift the country’s most vulnerable populations.

Arunchala Research and Consultancy Sdn Bhd founder R. Paneir Selvam said the government’s initiatives and policies reflected a commitment to address the various aspects of poverty, with a focus on improving the lives of those in need.

He said the effectiveness of the government's programmes to uplift poor people was often linked to their reach to the intended recipients.

Paneir said bridging the gap between these initiatives and the targeted groups was an essential aspect of progress.

He said the ‘Madani’ concept was a noble concept by the government that could be a means to narrow this gap, but it remained a challenge to ensure government allocations reached their intended beneficiaries.

“What we want is 100 per cent (for allocations to reach the intended beneficiaries) but it is not as easy as it sounds.

“There needs to be a monitoring system in place so that the allocations reach the targeted group,” he told Sinar Daily.

In terms of policy implementation, bureaucratic hurdles could hinder the realisation of government objectives.

He said collaboration between civil servants and third-party organisations was important for the execution of these initiatives to succeed.

“However, the implementation part is the problem, whether it is being implemented properly or not,” he said when contacted.

He said the government's good intentions must be met with an effective implementation strategy to benefit those in the B40 group adding that monitoring of these initiatives was vital for the initiatives’ success.

For instance, he said local governments, such as municipal councils that oversee street vendors in the cities were supposed to support these people who were seeking to make ends meet by setting up shops in the streets to genuinely generate income.

“Rather than imposing fines and confiscating their goods, there is a growing call to provide alternative solutions for these individuals to allow them to generate income and support their families,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the misconception of the link between poverty and crime, Paneir said crimes were being committed even by those from a very well-to-do background.

Citing the individuals associated with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) cases in court, he said those who committed white-collar crime and financial crime often hailed from affluent families with a strong financial background and good education.

“If someone claims that poverty is the main cause of crime, I would disagree," he said.

"Recently, a 15-year-old boy was caught stealing money from a mosque. When we examine the reasons why a person commits a crime, there must be a motive.

“Justifying crime is not acceptable; stealing is a crime that cannot be condoned. The question to ask is why the individual resorted to such a crime.

“Were they desperate, needing to provide for their family and felt that no one was willing to help them? Who is at fault, the criminal or society? This is an open question,” he said.

Paneir said the intentions of a criminal act may vary but a crime is a crime and the factors driving a person to commit a crime should be examined.