Only 1% poor in Malaysia? Idris Jala - the Putrajaya JESTER

Only 1% poor in Malaysia? Come and see for yourself, Pedas tells Idris Jala

The Sarawak Dayak Association (Pedas) dared Pemandu CEO Datuk Idris Jala to go to the ground and see how the poor live if he really believes that poverty in Malaysia is almost wiped out.

Idris had said that only 1% of the country are still poor, based on figures released by Pemandu in its 2014 Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) report.

“Over the years, we have seen tremendous success in poverty eradication. According to the latest preliminary data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), only one per cent of our population was [sic] in poverty as at 2014, compared with 3.8 per cent in 2009,” the report claims.

But The Borneo Post reported Miri Pedas committee member Bill Kayong as saying that Pemandu should go to the rural villages, urban slums and meet native communities in Sarawak.

“Many poor rural and urban families are invisible to Pemandu, but in actual fact, they exist,” he said.

Kayong added that the government would not give out 1Malaysia Peoples’ Aid (BR1M) to so many households if Idris’s claim had any basis, and that he should not talk about poverty if he refused to see how the poor live for himself.

“It’s really unbelievable that poverty is almost wiped out in Malaysia, it’s not a fact but just a political statement,” Kayong said, also noting that the poor and hardcore poor are especially vulnerable at this point of time, with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“Poverty is everywhere, so how could Idris dare to announce that poverty is almost wiped out in the country; we deem his statement as a mere lie and disgusting to read,” he said.

Idris Jala making such idiotic, moronic statements - the JOKE of the 21st century.
If a tally is taken there must be at 20% hardcore poor in the whole of Malaysia. Now with GST the figure is probably balloon to 30%.