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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 put full efforts into ending it.
“This year, we must eradicate and put an end to hardcore poverty, including in Negri Sembilan,” he said when launching the Sentuhan Kasih Desa programme here today.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also rural and regional development minister, Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The prime minister said the ministry 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 should try to help the people get out of poverty.
“We cannot just talk about the high-speed railway, the East Coast Rail Link project, semi-detached buildings, Putrajaya and so on, yet 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 Negri 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 a great economy, with ministerial salaries and special ambassadors’ pay being high, yet school toilets cannot be repaired…that is why I say we must settle this issue this year for our children.” – Bernama, June 24, 2023
