Kota Kinabalu: Amanah Saham Wawasan (ASW) investments totalling RM930,000 were handed out to 93 hardcore poor family heads in the city under the ASW Urban Poor and Hardcore Poor Programme (Phase One), here, Tuesday.Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said the Federal Territory and Urban Wellbeing Ministry had allocated RM12.28 million under the programme for Sabah from which the city received RM930,000 for eligible recipients.
Speaking at the handing over of the ASW passbooks to the recipients at the City Hall conference room here, he said through the programme the Government would provide an investment of RM10,000 for each household head identified through the national poverty databank known as e-Kasih.
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Among the aims of the programme is to boost the household head's income through annual dividend, apart from encouraging saving in government-endorsed investments.
"It must be reminded that the RM10,000 is only tagged to the recipients' name and the money still belongs to the Government. As long as they are eligible they will receive the ASW dividend annually," said Madingkir.
The eligibility criterion include that the poor and hardcore poor household heads must not be bankrupt and do not have any savings in any trust fund scheme exceeding RM1,000 and who have never received assistance under the ASB Sejahtera Programme.
Madingkir said the Government, especially the Ministry and assisted by various agencies including City Hall, was committed in eradicating urban poverty and the ASW programme was a clear reflection of this.
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Towards this end, he hoped poverty in Sabah, especially in the State Capital, could be eliminated through the various efforts and collaborations among the relevant government agencies.
"We as government servants must give solid cooperation in the bid to address poverty issues so that each of the target groups will not be left out from enjoying the various assistance provided by the Government," he said.
Also on hand were Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister, Datuk Edward Yong, Inanam Assemblyman, Datuk Johnny Goh, City Hall Directo-General, Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, Deputy Director-General (Operation), Joannes Solidau, and a representative of Karambunai Assemblywoman, Datuk Jainab Ahmad.
