KOTA KINABALU: The federal government will continue to focus on eradicating hardcore poverty in the state, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"Hardcore poverty has been the Madani government's main focus. Within a year, the number (of households categorised as hardcore poor in the state) has reduced from 25,000 to about 11,000.
"We stimulate (economic) growth. We aim for more investments and tourism, with hotels fully occupied by tourists. But our main responsibility is to eradicate hardcore poverty.
"We want to eradicate it nationwide. It has been eradicated in Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perak and Penang.
"In Sabah, the problems are more complicated, with the influx (of immigrants) and border encroachment. But I will give full support to Sabah under the leadership of Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
"This month, I have instructed the director-general of the Prime Minister's Department's Implementation Coordinating Unit (ICU), as well as the state government and all relevant agencies, to hold a meeting aimed at reducing the number (of households in hardcore poverty) from 11,000 to as few as possible, as soon as possible," he said at the Madani Aidilfitri celebration at the Sabah International Convention Centre here.
He added that this year, the federal government, under the ICU, had allocated RM36.91 million for Sabah and RM34.63 million for Sarawak for Bumiputera socioeconomic development programmes.
Present were Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin and wife Toh Puan Norlidah RM Jasni.
Earlier, Anwar said he, his deputies Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, as well as other federal and state ministers, had a meeting at Menara Kinabalu.
"This is the practice whenever we visit a state to ensure projects are being implemented. It cannot be monitored only from Putrajaya.
"We require information and briefings from the state secretary to identify issues, such as water supply and road conditions, as well as details on the Pan Borneo Highway, electricity problems and the lack of schools in Kota Kinabalu."
"All of these concerns can be voiced out, and we will take note of it. This is the Madani spirit and we execute them well," he said, adding that he thanked Hajiji for informing the federal government on what needed to be done.
