Perak Achieves Zero Hardcore Poverty Target

IPOH, April 16 (Bernama) -- A total of 732 heads of household (KIR) in Perak had been lifted out of hardcore poverty as of December last year, enabling the state to achieve its zero-hardcore poverty target, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.

State Women, Family, Social Welfare, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman Datuk Salbiah Mohamed said a total of 11,648 KIR, or 45 per cent, had been lifted out of poverty, surpassing the national target of 33 per cent.

“At the Social Welfare Department (JKM), the effectiveness of assistance is assessed based on the ability to meet basic needs, its role as a social support and recovery tool, and the extent to which recipients reduce their dependence on aid.

“As of March 2026, a total of 55,514 recipients in Perak have received the benefit of monthly financial assistance,” she said during the question-and-answer session.

She said this in response to a question from Mohamad Yusri Bakir (BN-Ayer Kuning) on the mechanism to ensure that those truly in need are not left out due to limited allocations in the state.

Salbiah further said that efforts to identify the poor were not restricted to passive registration, but were also supported by fieldwork programmes.

She said this includes the Ziarah Kasih programme, home visits by JKM and district offices, as well as the involvement of penghulu (village chiefs) and local communities to identify cases of those in need who have not come forward to seek assistance.

In an effort to further strengthen the assistance delivery system, Salbiah said the state government had streamlined the One Stop Centre for Social Welfare Programme for 2026, introducing a more focused and impactful approach.

“The programme is a continuation of its implementation since 2024, but has been improved into a family-based intervention model.

“Through this approach, each district will identify at least 100 KIRs from the poor and hardcore poor categories in the eKasih data to be made target families through a comprehensive profiling process,” she said.

Salbiah also said that the state government’s assistance was no longer focused solely on monthly financial aid, but also on self-empowerment and family development through participation in skills training programmes such as Technical and Vocational Education and Training and entrepreneurship.

-- BERNAMA