Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan

At Your ServiceSince the corresponding period last year, 50 of the heads of these families have beenmaking a steady and decent living. They have fixed salaries ranging from RM350 toRM700 monthly, from their work in rubber estates, pineapple plantations, and alsoas tailors, van drivers and kindergarten handlers. About 40% are now enjoyingincome of more than RM700 a month, on track with the poverty eradicationprogrammes envisioned by the Government.In administering their own destinies, the communities formed committees to meetto discuss issues, and bounce ideas on how to elevate their social well-being. Thisranges from venturing into new economic activities while waiting for the right timeto tap and harvest rubber and pineapple respectively. The 50 heads of family arethe inhabitants of the Housing Aid Programme while the remaining 30, who areoften old and no longer able to actively earn an income, are shareholders of thescheme. This, essentially, is the primary role of the ministry – to provide houses,roads, electricity and clean water to the hard-core poor through such projects.We have also instituted projects to increase the income of the rural folks. Amongthe projects introduced are the Skills and Career Enhancement Programme andthe Human Capital Development programmes. Ten years ago, these projectswere pipedreams to the marginalised. Half a century ago, the ministry set out tocombat poverty with a commitment to help the almost “forgotten community” inour country. Now, they have hope for a promised future, no longer darting fromhand-to-mouth and eking out a living from unproductive practices.The bottom line of the agropolitan project isto enable the participants of Gahai to obtainincomes ranging from RM1,050 to RM1,200,so they can break free from abject povertyby 2010. We are on track to achieve thisvision.The RM8.5mil Agropolitan project was launched by former Prime Minister TunAbdullah Ahmad Badawi on July 31, 2008. In a nutshell, an agropolitan projectis an agriculture township developed through various agricultural activities andagricultural-related businesses. Its two objectives - to eradicate hardcore poverty110