KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had to stop for a while after being emotionally overwhelmed while talking about hardcore poverty when tabling the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) at the Dewan Negara sitting today.
The Prime Minister who often appeared calm during Parliament sittings was seen overcome with emotion and had to pause and calm himself before resuming his speech.
"The issue of poverty is very close to my heart. I was born and raised in a rubber tapper family, I truly understand the hardships and difficulties faced by the poor," he said in regard to the fifth focus of the 12MP on Eradicating Hardcore Poverty and Closing the Income Gap.
Ismail Sabri said the government was committed to ensuring the success of the fifth focus and would adopt the whole-of-nation approach in tackling the issues of poverty in the country, including by setting up the Poverty Unit under the Economic Planning Unit.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the poverty rate, affect individual and household income, and push our family into poverty," he said. - BERNAMA