Sejahtera MADANI Initiative Launched, Nearly RM120 Million Raised To End Poverty

PUTRAJAYA, July 24 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia MADANI People's Wellbeing Initiative (Sejahtera MADANI), launched today to end poverty, has successfully raised nearly RM120 million, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced.

Speaking at the launch, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the initiative had received overwhelming support from the private sector, surpassing its initial fundraising target of RM50 million.

“I said if Sejahtera MADANI could raise RM50 million, that would already be a success, and the government could top it up a bit, but today the response has not just doubled, it’s gone far beyond that.

“The initiative has now raised nearly RM120 million. This is a meaningful project, and we want to drive this nation to become strong and great,” he said.

Present at the event were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

Anwar also reiterated his MADANI Government’s commitment to ending hardcore poverty in Malaysia through coordinated efforts and strategic approaches.

“My target, together with the Cabinet, is to end hardcore poverty. Based on data from 2023 to 2024, we’ve made significant progress. Even though new cases may emerge, the overall numbers are far lower than before,” he said.

The Prime Minister also praised the commitment of all stakeholders, particularly the private sector and Islamic religious councils, for working alongside the government to tackle one of the country’s most persistent issues.

Sejahtera MADANI is a national initiative aimed at assisting poor and hardcore poor households registered under the National Poverty Database or the eKasih system.

Coordinated by the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department (ICU JPM), the initiative consolidates various aid interventions across ministries, agencies, and private entities for a focused and integrated poverty eradication strategy.

In a statement issued at the launch, ICU JPM described Sejahtera MADANI as being anchored on a "whole-of-nation approach," enhanced with high-impact and sustainable programs targeting both heads of households and household members under the eKasih system.

The initiative focuses on four key areas, namely income generation, education, housing, and social welfare.

The government is targeting RM100 million in corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions for Sejahtera MADANI, all of which will be channelled to the People's Wellbeing Fund managed by ICU JPM.

“All CSR contributions under this initiative qualify for income tax deductions under Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967,” the statement read.

As of July 15, a total of 306,403 heads of households are registered in the eKasih database nationwide, comprising 1,017 classified as hardcore poor and 305,386 as poor.

-- BERNAMA