TUARAN: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said a previously reported statistics concerning hardcore poor districts in Sabah, including Tuaran, were based on data from three years ago.
"I was informed that there were over 1,000 severely poor households in Tuaran at that time.
"However, the latest information now indicates that the number of severely poor households has reduced to just over 600 in Tuaran.
"This signifies the government's serious commitment to addressing severe poverty and assisting this demographic through various means, not only with housing aid but also by supporting small businesses to lower their statistical representation," he said.
The total number of poor households in Sabah as of March 24 was only 13,172, compared to 22,510 reported three years ago.
Hajiji said that opposition parties have been focusing on issues related to hardcore poverty and infrastructure. He said that he is aware of the continuous attacks against him and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led government.
The Sulaman assemblyman said that those moves were the opposition's strategy for the upcoming state election.
However, the Sabah election is still far away, he reminded the opposition.
"They (the opposition) are running out of issues, they think PRN is tomorrow... (but) It's still far away, almost two years.
"That's why now we see, regardless of fasting (period), they keep attacking the government," he said during breaking of fast with the Chief Minister at Masjid An-Nur here last night.
He reiterated that the current government would serve its term until it expires Oct next year.