Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan

Datuk Abd Jabar Che Nai“They were not forgotten,but simply left behind. Inmost societies, they remainforgotten, if not marginalised.The ministry is working hardto alleviate poverty, especiallyin Sarawak and Sabah. Ourwork with Gahai has set thepace for further eradication ofpoverty in Malaysia. Efforts arein place to set the poor freefrom the shackles of indigencealtogether”through economic upliftment and elevate them from the poverty line. Fast-trackingdevelopment in rural, remote and neglected areas are the pillars of the agropolitanproject. To date, we have been developing several agropolitan projects, namely,Chemomoi in Pahang, Kampung Gana in Sabah, and Batang Sadong and BatangLupar in Sarawak. We have also identified new sites such as Sedili in Johor andKedaya Telang Usan in Sarawak. The latest is Beris Jaya in Sik, Kedah.The poor recruited into the projects will have their livelihood enhanced underthe various poverty-eradication programmes. Malaysia cannot fully prosper if partsof it remain in poverty. The Government has placed much priority and effort ineradicating poverty. It is, by and large, seen as a role model amongst its regionalpeers, in poverty eradication. The not-so-shy Hazim managed a “terima kasih”to the ministry officials, again grinning ear-to-ear, his best clothes already partlysoaked with sweat after queuing up with the rest in the community hall, wherethe ceremony to hand over the keys was held.Hazim finally stepped into his new home, having outrun his siblings to choose whichof the three rooms of the RM33,000 house would be his. He smiled, saying softly“Now I have my own room”, something he could only dream about five years ago.Malaysia is working hard to put more smiles on the faces of our marginalised.111