KUALA LUMPUR: The government, through the Prime Minister's Department's (PMD) Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU), is currently compiling data on poverty through the eKasih National Poverty Data Bank System.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said ICU is planning on identifying 50 areas nationwide by mid-December.
He said this will then be verified with the cooperation of state governments by the end of this month.
"In Jan 2022, programmes and strategies will be formulated based on the needs of each locality while in February, the presentation of the first phase of hardcore poverty eradication strategies and programmes will be tabled to the cabinet.
"In March (2022), the implementation of the programmes for the first phase of 50 localities nationwide will begin," he said in response to a question by Chang Lih Kang (Pakatan Harapan-Tanjong Malim) in the Dewan Rakyat, today.
Mustapa said the implementation of the new approach would be monitored every three months to ensure the effectiveness of intervention should the achievements be unsatisfactory.
"Aside from these 50 localities, existing programmes for other poor groups and families across the country will be continued.
"With such a holistic approach, the government is committed to eliminating hardcore poverty by 2025 as targeted in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP)."
To ensure a more focused implementation, Mustapa said a special poverty unit will be established at the federal, state, and district levels.
"The Poverty Unit has already been established at the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) on Nov 8. Several states have taken the initiative to set up the Poverty Unit at the state and district levels."
He said under the 12MP, a comprehensive strategy covering economic, entrepreneurship, education, and health programmes would be implemented to eradicate hardcore poverty by 2025.
"The eradication of hardcore poverty will be implemented regardless of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status as well as location, whether in urban or rural areas.
"Hardcore poverty consists of households earning below RM1,169 a month and this figure is based on the cost of purchasing food for households with at least four family members," he said.