Urgent solutions needed to tackle poverty in Sabah, says Bung Moktar

KOTA KINABALU: The state government needs to urgently seek solutions to lift eight districts in Sabah out of the poverty line.

Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Moktar Radin said that more concrete and integrated steps need to be taken by the state government to eradicate poverty in Tongod, Beluran, Pitas, Kinabatangan, Kota Marudu, Ranau, Lahad Datu and Tuaran districts.

Bung Moktar who is also the Sabah Umno chief, lamented that if the issue is not promptly addressed, it will hinder the state government’s slogan of “Sabah Maju Jaya” (SMJ) as several districts in the state remain in poverty despite being touted through various media and public forums about the success of SMJ.

“There needs to be action and integrated solutions; otherwise, the SMJ concept will be seen merely as rhetoric, failing to achieve its goals, and at the same time, tarnishing the image of the state government, depicting that the SMJ slogan is no longer relevant,” he said in his Facebook post.

Bung’s statement was in response to Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli’s answer to a question from Semporna Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal in the parliamentary session on Thursday, requesting the Government to state the total number of hardcore poor in Malaysia and the eight poorest districts in Sabah as of January 2024.

Additionally, Mohd Shafie also requested the government to outline the initiatives and assistance provided to them, and the programs implemented need to be monitored until these groups succeed in escaping from the hardcore poor income bracket.

Rafizi was quoted as saying that the long-term steps being taken include restructuring the economy and increasing infrastructure in Sabah to enhance the residents’ economic output.

“For the short term, as we are already aware, contributions like Rahmah Cash Assistance and Basic Assistance, and subsidies are being increased continuously. For the medium term, under the jurisdiction managed partially by the Ministry of Economy, we are creating income-generating programs, especially on a large scale and community-based,” he added.

Before that, Rafizi provided the House with data, estimating that the incidence of hardcore poverty in Sabah is about six times higher compared to the national percentage.

He said that the incidence of hardcore poverty in Sabah is still at a high level, at 1.2 per cent compared to the national poverty rate of 0.2 per cent based on the Income and Expenditure Survey Report and Basic Facility 2022.

“So we can compare how the situation is across the country, which is only 0.2 per cent in terms of hardcore poverty incidence, but in Sabah (the rate) is about six times higher than the national rate,” he said.

To this end Bung Moktar opined that although the government is focusing on the agricultural sector to assist the poor in the state, this target cannot have a significant impact on raising the standard of living if there are still problems with basic facilities such as road transportation, water, and electricity supply.

“The government encourages the people to engage in agriculture to increase income sources. At the same time, they are faced with an imperfect road transportation system. How can the people bring out their agricultural produce without a proper road transportation system?” he asked.

At the same time, Bung Moktar urged the state government not to rely solely on allocations from the federal government to develop Sabah and lift its people out of hardcore poverty.

He pointed out that the state government has announced having substantial financial reserves; therefore, with a good financial position, it should be used to help advance the state and improve the people’s economy not only through infrastructure provision but also by assisting in developing the people through various initiatives and aids that can raise their standard of living.