KOTA KINABALU: The People's Income Initiative (IPR) must be brought directly to rural communities instead of expecting the poor to find their way to government aid, says Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
The Kinabatangan MP stressed that effective outreach, not passive delivery, must drive the implementation of the programme in Sabah’s interior.
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He added that the IPR is a commendable federal policy launched in 2023 and scheduled to continue under the 13th Malaysia Plan, but its impact in Sabah has been limited because of a lack of on-the-ground engagement.
“The government must go to the people, not the other way around.
“Outreach programmes should be the backbone of IPR in Sabah.
"This includes face-to-face engagement in community halls, schools, houses of worship and local centres, involving village heads, village development and security committee (JKKK), non-governmental organisations and other grassroots networks,” the Sabah Barisan Nasional chief said in a statement on Friday (June 6).
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Bung Moktar pointed out that Sabah’s hardcore poverty rate currently stands at 1.2%, six times higher than the national average of 0.2%.
This reflects the daily struggles, especially those of single mothers, the elderly and youth in rural Sabah, who are eager to improve their lives but trapped by limited access and opportunity.
“People here are not lazy. They are simply cut off from programmes that could help them. It is not enough to just roll out a policy; we must make sure it reaches the right hands,” he added.
Bung Moktar urged the Economy Ministry to restructure the IPR delivery mechanism by taking into account Sabah’s unique geographical, cultural and socioeconomic landscape.
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He also called on the Federal Government to see Sabah not as a lagging region but as a strategic development partner that can significantly contribute to national progress if treated equitably.
“The success of IPR in Sabah would not come from centralised announcements. It will come from real presence, real conversations, and real inclusion,” he said.
He believes that with a people-first approach, IPR can help lift many Sabahans out of the cycle of poverty towards a just and sustainable future.
