By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, July 9 — As of May, 1,434 household heads in Selangor are still listed as hardcore poor, said state executive councillor for human resources and poverty eradication V. Papparaidu.
He said this information was gleaned from the National Poverty Data Bank (eKasih), which gathers particulars on poverty to facilitate appropriate aid distribution via federal and state agencies.
Papparaidu said the criteria used to identify hardcore poor households is based on poverty line income (PLI) and household income per capita, and calculated using formulas by the Economy Ministry and the Statistics Department.
“As of May 31, 2024, Selangor has 1,434 household heads categorised as hardcore poor, with the PLI per capita set at RM343 for hardcore poor and RM768 for poor,” Papparaidu said in the State Legislative Assembly today.
“The eKasih system ensures accurate data via field verification conducted by Selangor’s Implementation Coordination Unit and enumerators stationed in each district.
“It serves as a critical reference for federal and state agencies involved in poverty eradication efforts,” he said.
Papparaidu was responding to a question from Sungai Panjang assemblyman Razali Saari about the number of hardcore poor households in the state and how the state classifies these families.
As an added measure, Papparaidu said, Selangor has enacted a poverty eradication programme, providing aid under Iltizam Selangor Penyayang.
The initiative aims to ease the burden of people and families earning less than RM1,500 and RM3,000, respectively.