1AZAM aiding low-income households

The 1AZAM and eKasih programmes has successfully improved in Raising Living Standards of Low Income Households (LIH) NKRA in the Government Transformation Programme 1.0. Over 44,643 families who were categorised as “extreme poor” have raised their income levels and have been lifted out of the bracket.

Source from (The Star Online): http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/3/28/nation/12870359&sec=nation
Published: March 29, 2013



The initiatives had been one of the major milestones during the first phase of the GTP as reported in the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Annual Report 2012.

Another milestone achieved in the GTP 1.0 was the increase in home ownership by poor households to 4,865 over the last three years, almost double the previous number.

The emphasis of GTP 2.0, which kicked off this year, will be economic empowerment of individuals and communities through basic facilities and the right environment.

Over the next three years will also take a more targeted approach in addressing the needs of specific communities such as the orang asli and Penan.

The LIH NKRA aspires to completely eradicate extreme poverty, reduce poverty and enhance the productivity of low income households.

Various skill training programmes, financial assistance and income generating programmes have been implemented through the GTP to transform the lives of poverty-stricken Malaysians.



In 2010, 44,535 out of the 44,643 families which had been categorised were lifted out of extreme poverty through financial assistance from the Government, with a 99.67% success rate.

The 1AZAM, an income generating programme to allow poor families to set up their own businesses and stand independently on their own two feet, was introduced in 2011.

A total of 57,793 households, which had been registered under eKasih programme, participated in the 1AZAM programme.

As for the next phase of the GTP, which began this year, a total of 106,967 households registered under the eKasih database have already participated in 1AZAM programme.

Of these participants, 4,300 women from low income households have been provided with relevant skills training and are now successful women entrepreneurs.

Other initiatives implemented include the restoration of abandoned houses and the building of affordable homes under the Rumah Mesra Rakyat 1Malaysia scheme to allow low income earners the opportunity to own homes.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has been quoted as saying that good progress had been made towards eradicating poverty and hunger regardless of ethnicity over the last four decades.

“The economic policies pursued by the Government have resulted in more balanced economic participation and wider coverage of essential services nationwide.

However, a huge challenge that lies ahead for GTP 2.0.

A key target group, 31% of Orang Asli still remain in the poor or extreme poor category and 82% of them live in poor housing conditions.

About 101,000 Malaysian households are still in need of assistance from 1AZAM.

Recognising these hurdles that lie ahead, the Government has also roped in the corporate sector and NGOs to help in the next phase of its mission.

Moving forward, the GTP 2.0 looks to continue to improve the lives of 500,000 low income earning Malaysians by 2015.