That was the response of Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA) secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman to Auditor-General’s Report 2013 which revealed that the 1Azam poverty eradication programme was unable to increase the participants’ household income.
He said this when asked about the matter during the Media Session: Auditor-General’s Report 2013 Series 3 at the Perdana Auditorium, Angkasapuri here today.
Mohd Arif said the MOA was one of the ministries involved in the 1Azam programme that had provided various aid to the participants to increase their monthly income, including by supplying baby chicks.
However, he said it was just sad that some participants failed to make optimal use of the aid.
“We gave them baby chicks and told them that once the chicken were sold, they should buy new baby chicks. Yes, they sold the chicken and received the money, but they spent it elsewhere. Now all that’s left are the chicken coops,” he said.
Mohd Arif said with this attitude, the participants would never get out of poverty.
“If they don’t want to try to increase their own income, no aid will ever work,” he said.
Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Sabariah Hassan said the 1Azam participants not only comprised of the poor, but also the low-income earners.
“Through the training and tools provided under the programme, we hoped that the participants’ income will increase up to RM300 a month, but no amount of aid and assistance will help achieve the objective if the participants did not even try to make it work,” she said.
The report, tabled at the Dewan Rakyat last Monday, revealed that participants of the 1Azam programme failed to make optimal use of the aid and tools to increase their income due to several reasons, including tough competition and capital shortage.
The participants also claimed that most of them were old and not so keen on venturing into business activities.
— BERNAMA
