KUALA LUMPUR: Strong foundations built over time made a fast-developing nation like Malaysia resilient and responsive in overcoming challenges, including those brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said after 63 years of independence, Malaysia has matured and continuously strives towards strengthening and diversifying its economy, apart from overcoming income equality to reduce poverty.
"The pandemic has indeed challenged us further and given us a wake-up call.
"On top of combatting and monitoring cases, every nation, including Malaysia, is forced to re-assess all that has been done and is to be done.
"Though Covid-19 has brought us much challenge and pain, it has, at the same time, brought us together to think of what is best for the people – be it their health, jobs and incomes, as well as their social well-being and welfare," said Muhyiddin in his speech at the opening of the Malaysia Urban Forum 2020 here today.
Present were Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin; Urbanise Malaysia chief executive officer Norliza Hashim; and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) executive director Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Muhyiddin stressed that the welfare and wellbeing of the rakyat has always been the priority of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in this challenging period.
"The PN government will continue to work with the private sector and financial institutions to ensure that we find ways and means to reduce the impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
He added that the present administration is committed to implementing poverty eradication efforts in the country.
Despite the many policies and programmes implemented previously, Muhyiddin stressed that poverty remains a concern in Malaysia.
"With the recent revision of the National Poverty Line Income (PLI) from RM980 to RM2,208, more than 400,000 households or 5.6 per cent of Malaysians have fallen within this.
"The revision of the National PLI now takes into consideration optimum food requirements as well as quality and healthy eating, unlike in the past, when we used to only consider the concept of 'minimum'.
"This is important, as a strong nation builds upon a healthy one. Hence, we must ensure our people have sufficient quality and nutritious food," he said.
Since the pandemic, Muhyiddin said the government, through its ministries and agencies including the Housing and Local Government Ministry, has implemented several initiatives to assist the people and business community in several sectors, including those in urban farming.
"I hope these good and relentless efforts will continue as we focus on 'food to table' to ensure there is no hunger and malnutrition among Malaysians, and to help reduce the burden of our poor households, especially those living in urban areas," he added.