POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMMES ALSO AIMED AT HELPING POOR BE SELF-RELIANT - PM

PEKAN (Malaysia), July 17 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government's poverty
eradication programmes are not solely welfare-oriented but also aimed at helping
the poor to be self-reliant, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

He said the government wanted to see the poor escape the clutches of poverty
and raise their own living standard.

"It is okay to be poor, but do not be poor in spirit, use resources
available to bring about a change (to the situation your are in)," he said when
launching the Pulau Manis state constituency's Poor People's Housing Scheme in
Kampung Bukit Penau here Friday.

Pekan is a town of the Peninsular Malaysia state of Pahang, and is located
on the banks of the Pahang River 50 km south of Kuantan.

The prime minister said the project launched Friday could serve as a
launching pad for the beneficiaries to change their economic situation, which
was to make a commitment to grab opportunities made available to further improve
their living standard.

Sixty poor families in the constituency, under the Pekan parliamentary
constituency, were involved in the scheme which not only provided them housing
units, but also also opportunities to take up aquaculture, animal husbandry,
fertigation farming, running foodstalls and grocery shops.


The scheme was a joint effort between the government and the private sector
to help the poor with the participants selected by the Pahang Religious and
Malay Customs Council (MUIP).

Najib added that the involvement of the private sector in poverty
eradication was a new approach undertaken by the government and that it was in
line with the teachings of Islam whereby it involved companies that paid zakat
(business tithes).

Also present was Pahang Chief Minister Adnan Yaakob and MUIP
deputy president Wan Abdul Wahid Wan Hassan.

-- BERNAMA