AS cost of living continues to rise, the government is undergoing a critical phase to alleviate thousands of households from the shackles of poverty.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry was given the task of implementing initiatives that will help raise the living standards of low-income households (LIH) under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).
Statistics in January showed that there were 7,668 people in the extreme poor category, and 92,593 poor households registered in the e-Kasih portal.


The ministry has worked relentlessly to churn out customised programmes that will help to hit its National Key Results Area (NKRA) target through raising the living standards of low-income households.

To curtail the classic scenario of the "rich getting richer and poor getting poorer", the ministry has introduced sub-NKRA initiatives to manage the income gap and expand economic opportunities so that all households would at least chance upon a channel that would help them reap the benefits.

But these initiatives are not aimed at feeding the man with fish but rather teaching him how to catch one. The programmes implemented do include aid for the needy but it also treads the sustainable path to minimise reliance on welfare.


Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said since 50 years ago, the quality of life of Malaysians has improved significantly.

"Today, less than four per cent of Malaysians live in poverty. We aspire to eradicate the extreme poor and reduce the poverty level, which will reduce the disparity between the rich and the poor."

The minister said it was important to manage the polarity between the rich and poor as this would help to eradicate hardcore poverty.


Looking beyond, her ministry will also enhance the productive capacity of low-income households so that they can learn to be self-sustaining.

"Besides extending assistance, we will increase the ability of the low-income households to be more productive.

"As lead minister, I will ensure that these initiatives are implemented and the targets met."

In order to achieve this, her ministry is first targeting to update the eKasih database as it will provide vital information in distinguishing the categories of registrants.

From the database, the ministry will be able to gauge the number of households that fall under the extreme poor, poor or vulnerable groups. From there, enablers will be put in place to channel these households into sustainable programmes, such as the 1Azam initiatives.

For this year, the government is out to ensure that at least 57,793 of those registered with eKasih will participate in 1Azam programmes by end of the year.

As of last month, 66 per cent, or more than 12,000 poor households, are already participating in the 1Azam programme.

The 1Azam programme consists of initiatives such as Azam Tani, which focuses on agriculture businesses, Azam Niaga (business opportunities) Azam Kerja (job matching opportunities) and Azam Khidmat (service sector).

The programme aims to help low-income earners by giving them the opportunities to boost income and become financially independent.

As of May 15, there are 2,334 households participating in the Azam Tani programme, 1,185 in Azam Niaga, 1,103 in Azam Kerja and 704 in Azam Khidmat in the peninsula.

Sabah and Sarawak, meanwhile, has 6,740 households involved in various Azam initiatives.

Shahrizat said 1Azam and other programmes implemented by her ministry would ensure that the country reached a wholesome state of social well-being, with the rakyat enjoying the benefits.

The ministry is also hoping to train and develop 1,000 women entrepreneurs by year end.

Women entrepreneurs are those who earn a net income of RM3,500 per month or more for three consecutive months.

To date, a cumulative 2,230 women entrepreneurs have benefited from the help offered by Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), the country's largest

microcredit financing company, in various fields such as agriculture, services, fisheries, manufacturing, farming and business.

Another sub-NKRA that would help raise the living standards of poor households is to increase home ownership among low-income households.

The government hopes to rent out 63,900 units of homes under the Projek Perumahan Rakyat by year end.

Of that figure, the National Housing Department, under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, has ensured that 77 per cent, or 49,408 units, have been handed over to the local councils and are currently occupied.

Another 10 per cent, or 6,456 units, have been handed over to owners but are still vacant while 1,904 units are completed but have yet to receive their certificate of fitness (CF).

Another 3,948 units have been completed with CF but are in the process of being handed over to the local council while 2,225 (four per cent) units will be completed with CF by end of the year.

There are also plans to build 2,500 Rumah Mesra Rakyat by the end of this year in collaboration with Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd. As of April 15, 121 units have been completed and handed over.

For many, insurance schemes have taken a backseat, considering that existing schemes in the market are not affordable to many low-income households.

But today, 500,000 members of poor households are subscribing to the LIH insurance scheme, which the ministry signed with Allianz Insurance.