PUTRAJAYA: Offering empowering and sustainable job opportunities is far more effective than providing cash handouts to help vulnerable groups escape poverty, says Rafizi Ramli.
The Economy Minister said studies and discussions from other countries such as India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have shown that those in the lower income groups prefer jobs to cash.“This is actually the challenge in our framework to introduce intervention and our joint efforts to end poverty,” he said in his opening address at the National Symposium to End Poverty 2024 here yesterday.
Rafizi said that it was important to come up with an effective anti-poverty programme that will actually empower recipients.
“Providing cash assistance alone or equipment for the lower income groups to start businesses often would not succeed. It’s not because the cash is insufficient or the equipment is inadequate, but because they need to create a form of business that is sustainable,” he added.
The minister also pointed out that these groups needed other types of assistance such as proper training and support to face business risks and their capabilities to compete.
Rafizi hoped that after spending millions of ringgit, such programmes that empower the group would be able to lift them out of poverty, based on their needs.
On a separate matter, he said while economic indicators show promising data – with positive economic growth, controlled inflation, the best-performing stock market in the region and the strengthening of the ringgit – indicating that Malaysia is on the right track in managing the national economy, the government should remain focused to ensure that it benefits all segments of society.
He added that the government is committed to intensifying efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty in line with the nation’s healthy economic performance.
This is because the government wanted to ensure no one is left behind, in accordance with the Madani Economy framework, said Rafizi.
“If not, we will continue to see a growing divide between the wealthy and the poor, even though the country’s economic growth figures appear positive,” he said.
