KOTA KINABALU, Nov 29 — The Sabah government is allocating RM175 million to implement various programmes to eradicate hardcore poverty among its people next year, the state legislative assembly was told today.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state government through the Sabah Maju Jaya Secretariat (SSMJ) had drawn up special programmes for the 22,510 heads of households (KIR) comprising the hardcore poor who are registered in the eKasih system.

"Programmes, assistance, subsidies, job and business opportunities are matched with the capabilities of the target group which is the hardcore poor and there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” he said when winding up debate on the 2024 State Budget.

The text of his speech was read by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir.

He said the programmes are the MySMJ:Profiler, MySMJ:PBT, MySMJ:DO, MySMJ:GLC MySMJ:Industri, MySMJ:Pendidikan and MySMJ:Care.

Meanwhile, Hajiji said the government was serious in cracking down on smuggling activities, especially controlled and subsidised items on the east coast of the state with various integrated operations carried out by various agencies throughout the year.

He said the Royal Malaysia Police confiscated goods worth RM119 million this year, Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) (more than RM17.27 million), Sabah’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (more than RM5.09 million), and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RM2.34 million).

The assembly sits again tomorrow. — Bernama