KUCHING: Deputy Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development II Martin Ben is questioning the data provided in the eKasih system.
“I am not denying or making excuses, but the eKasih system that was created many years ago is an online registration platform.
“Anyone who thinks their family is poor can register and the question now is, has the data been verified or updated.”
The Kedup assemblyman said this when asked to comment on the statement made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Abdul Latiff Ahmad who said more than 97,000 households in Sarawak live in poverty.
According to Martin, in referring to Abdul Latif’s statement, there are 1,585 households considered “hardcore poor” and 2,583 “poor” in Serian. Hence he wanted to know the information of all the households concerned.
“Which village or area is the household from?
“It is so that we can visit them and see how the government can help increase their income and livelihood, especially those under the Kedup constituency.
“This is because there are many programmes provided by the federal government and the Sarawak government for the people,” he said when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune today.
Meanwhile when contacted, Tebedu assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada said that as a newly elected assemblyman, his focus now is to assist the farmers to uplift their economic status.
Previously, Abdul Latiff Ahmad during a recent Dewan Rakyat meeting said, citing the database of e-Kasih, that more than 97,000 households in Sarawak live in poverty.
He said the three districts that showed the highest poverty rates were Kuching, Simunjan and Serian.
“Kuching had the highest number of households living in poverty, with 2,631 considered “hardcore poor” and 4,866 “poor”.
“Meanwhile, Simunjan had 2,417 “hardcore poor” and 2,529 “poor”, and Serian had 1,585 “hardcore poor” and 2,583 “poor”,” he had said when contacted.
