KUALA LUMPUR: Some 16 experts will present their papers at a one-day seminar by the Ministry of Federal Territories on Thursday, to kick-start a year-long search for a comprehensive and holistic solution to the problem of urban poverty.
They include prominent policymakers, top administrators, former government thinkers and top civil servants such as Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob and Tan Sri Dr Kamal Salih, former Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Phesal Talib and media personality Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar.
Federal Territories mufti Datuk Dr Zulkifli Albakri will also give his perspective on urban poverty.
They will be joined by professors and researchers from several universities, numerous social activists and non-governmental organisations.
“Urban poverty has become a national issue,” said Associate Professor Dr Doris Padmini Selvaratnam, Community Development Expert from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Faculty of Economics and Management.
Presenting a paper on ‘Social Holistic Entrepreneurship To Eradicate Urban Poverty”, the UKM expert said giving them a means to earn is key.
“The approach we take is coupled with asset mapping, helping the urban poor identify the products and services which can be commercialised, financial literacy and teaching them the basics of entrepreneurship,” Padmini said.
“In doing this, we need to offer a range of revenue generating activities to suit the different skillsets of the urban poor. These activities range from lessons on being a Netpreneur to making soap and candles, as well as growing a vegetable garden.
“What’s crucial is to create entrepreneurs who are self-sufficient. In line with this, we have introduced modules on financial management, growing their business and promoting products digitally.
To start them from young, UKM organised a young entrepreneurs programme targeting kindergarten to primary school children at Stadium MPSJ in Serdang, Selangor recently.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad previously said Malaysia cannot consider itself developed if some segments of the society had no access to basic amenities and jobs to provide them with sufficient incomes.
He identified the rise of rural-urban migration and the people’s limited self-development skills as contributing to the growing population of urban poor in the country.
NGO consultant Simpson Khoo, who has nearly 10 years of experience helping the urban poor, said education and mental-wellbeing of the urban poor go a long way in helping them climb out of the poverty cycle.
“I see the importance of literacy in life. It is the foundation and key to economic empowerment. Students in our programme have better school attendance, attitude and achievement.
“It is proud moment when the students are able to stay in school and complete their primary school and secondary education. Ninety per cent of our students have shown improvement. Some of them have completed vocational training programmes to learn new skills while a few had acquired tertiary education,” he said.
The programme has helped more than 300 students in six locations since 2012.
Khoo added that his studies showed the low-income group especially those living in the low-cost public housing communities need better access to mental health care, awareness in self-care and knowledge in coping with the high prevalence of depression and anxiety.