KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa reaffirmed the government's commitment to address poverty among risk groups here following Unicef's "Living on the Edge" study.
The report, released yesterday, found that an alarming 40 per cent of children lived in households below the poverty line.
The study found that poverty persisted among low-income households in Kuala Lumpur post-Covid-19, particularly among women, children and those with disabilities.
Zaliha said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had made the poverty issue a primary focus of the government.
She said with a comprehensive approach that integrated education and welfare, the government would make tangible strides to eradicate poverty and foster sustainable development across the nation.
She said the Usaha Jaya Insan programme (PUJI), launched in February, covered the economic and welfare aspects of residents in Kuala Lumpur.
"We will continuously monitor the implementation of this programme to ensure that those below the poverty line receive the support needed to uplift themselves and their families," added Zaliha.
Among the initiatives under PUJI is Ilmu@PUJI, which is to ensure access to education by providing free tuition, free school buses and contributions to the National Education Savings Scheme for B40 children.
Earlier today, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said policies must benefit the target groups.
In response to Unicef's report, she stressed that the government was reviewing the criteria for welfare benefits in order to help M40 households that had fallen into the B40 bracket.
Nancy said there was no specific time frame for the review but urged people who found children living in poverty to report it to the authorities.