Rubbish! The Gap between the Rich and The Hardcore Poor is drastically widened over the years. The Rich become Richer, The Poor become Poorer. The article below (in reality) is only 10% accurate & i'm being very generous!
PEKAN: The social justice system that is being upheld by the government has allowed the people to improve their livelihood regardless of their backgrounds, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.
With help from the private sector, non-governmental organisations and the people, the government has established a system which resulted in social mobility and the less fortunate improving their living standard.Najib said the government had also stressed the importance of education.
"In Malaysia, there are many success stories that are touching. We hear stories of poor children of farmers, fishermen and labourers who become successful professionals in just one generation," he said before presenting cash aid, school uniforms and bicycles to 300 students in his constituency here.
Each student received RM200, two sets of school uniforms and a bag from Amanah Raya Berhad and a bicycle from Persatuan Cinta Negara Malaysia (Pencinta).Present were Amanah Raya chairman Datuk Dasuki Ahmad and Pencinta president Datuk Izzudin Ishak.
Najib said many countries, including developed ones, did not have a successful social justice system, and people living in ghettos and slum neighbourhoods were not able to change their lives."Those from these areas will go nowhere and their children will become criminals, labourers or stay jobless."He said the government had been providing aid to the needy, and such assistance was not limited to the hardcore poor who were listed under the eKasih programme.
Subsidies for education were also given to poor children to empower and help them improve their family's living status, he added."The government has and will always help the needy and this is one of the focus under the New Economic Model," he said, adding that such efforts must be complemented by the private sector, NGOs and individuals.Later, at a function organised by the Association of Ex-Security Forces Malaysia, Najib said the contributions from all races were important to help Malaysia achieve its aspiration to become a developed and high-income country.He said history had proven that the people of different ethnicities had joined forces to get independence from the British, and the special bonds among the people had also helped the country excel in sports and other areas."The bonds that have been formed among us transcend race and religion and we will fight together to protect our country from whatever threats," he said.Najib later presented 6,000 boxes of mandarin oranges to the people in his constituency.
Later, at the launch of the Association of Former Kemas Staff here, Najib said the Community Development Department's (Kemas) current and former staff should continue with their roles to change the people's mindset and help the country transform into a developed nation by 2020.However, he said Kemas must change its approach as it no longer dealt with combating illiteracy, which was its main objective when it was established in 1961. "Our goal post has shifted and Kemas must now help the people understand and master the latest knowledge and technology,"Present were association president Datuk Melati Ali and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.At the function, Najib also presented the "Tokoh" award to former Kemas staff -- Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and former Selangor state assemblywoman for Taman Medan, Norkhaila Jamaluddin.Ali, who was a Kemas officer between 1979 and 1984, said it was crucial for Kemas to transform to face the present challenges that came with globalisation.
In Kuantan, Najib spent nearly an hour visiting the facilities at the Bukit Kenau integrated community housing project in Pulau Manis.Sixty poor families moved into the three-bedroom houses in July last year. They were not only given the chance to stay at the houses for free but also earned a living through a farming and livestock community project.
-The Star
