KUCHING: The method of measuring the poverty rate of a state should be restructured, says Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
While she welcomed the state government’s decision to review the eKasih data, Nancy stressed that it should be restructured, as many individuals not actually in poverty have been incorrectly classified under eKasih.
“We don’t want to be perceived as a wealthy state with a poor population. That’s something we want to avoid.
“It creates a misleading image of our people, not just in Sarawak, but across Malaysia.
“However, the government is consistently working to improve this situation in different ways.
“The steps Sarawak is taking to review this are truly a positive initiative,” she said when met by reporters during the Juh Shopping Raya organised by Yayasan Pekema here today (Mar 16).
Nancy added that both federal and state governments are continuously working towards eradicating poverty.
“It requires persistent effort from the government. And it is an ongoing process.
“That’s why we hope this issue can be addressed as soon as possible,” she said.
Previously, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah acknowledged that the eKasih data has its limitations, and therefore the government should reassess the approach based on that data.
He said the method of measuring the poverty rate of a state varies and should not rely solely on eKasih data.
On a separate note, Nancy shared that the Juh Shopping Raya programme has been running for the past four years in collaboration with Yayasan Pekema.
A total of 150 recipients received RM200 each to help them purchase Aidilfitri essentials, easing their financial burden.
