Thursday July 5, 2007
Pak Lah: Be a caring society
By JANE RITIKOS
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
Prime Minister at the Poverty Eradication Foundation dinner
KUALA LUMPUR: Be a caring society. Do not think twice about doing charity for the poor, regardless of their race and creed.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made this plea to all Malaysians to help the Government wipe out poverty in the country.
The Prime Minister wants everyone to progress together.
“I am proud to see, throughout the nation, people of all races and religions, who show a caring attitude towards those who are less fortunate than them.
“When giving charity, they do not think of the poor in terms of race or religion.
“They give whatever they can, whether the amount is big or small.
“I would like this to continue to be a part of the Malaysian attitude,” he said at the Poverty Eradication Foundation (Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan) dinner here last night.
The Prime Minister also launched a fund-raising drive for the foundation’s special children’s education centre.
Abdullah said the fight against poverty had always been a serious matter for the Government.
“This is reflected in the poverty level, which has significantly reduced from over 60% of the population at the time of Independence to 5.7% of the people at present,” he said.
“The Government’s poverty eradication policy has always disregarded race and religious factors,” he said, adding that the country’s achievement was recognised by the United Nation’s Millennium Development Report that named Malaysia as the best country in efforts to eradicate poverty.
“We will continue to wipe out poverty.
“Our aim is zero hardcore poor people by 2010 and I hope we can achieve this together,” he said.
Abdullah presented the foundation's first award to a personality who had championed the cause of eradicating poverty.
The award, Anugerah Tokoh Basmi Kemiskinan YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan, was given to Rural and Regional Development Ministry advisor Datuk Paduka Rahmah Abu Kassim.
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