PENAMPANG, May 31 (Bernama) — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants hardcore poverty in Sabah to be eradicated by end of July this year.
The Prime Minister is confident that the target can be achieved as the number of heads of households in the hardcore poor category in Sabah has now dropped to just 9,000 from 20,000 previously.
The issue of hardcore poverty in Sabah, he said, is far more serious than other states such as Penang and Selangor and hence, the integrated cooperation between the federal and state governments needs to be strengthened towards solving the problem.
“Hardcore poverty means that they can’t even afford to buy school uniforms, proper meals or even infant formula for babies. That is why the federal and state governments join hands in eradicating hardcore poverty.
“We want to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah by the end of July 2024. This is our top priority. We can talk about other issues, but if our children do not have enough to eat, the onus is on us to do something,” he said when officiating the closing ceremony of the Kaamatan Festival at Kadazandusun Cultural Association’s (KDCA) Hongkod Koisaan Hall here today.