China lifted millions out of poverty, Malaysia can, too

Filepic/The Star

In his March 1, 2021, “Setahun Malaysia Prihatin” address to the nation, Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stressed the need for the Cabinet Committee on Poverty to seriously look into ways to alleviate the poverty that affects a sizable portion of the population. I can’t agree more that there is an urgent need to address this issue.

Poverty is not only confined to the developing world, as pockets of extreme poverty can also be found in the world’s richest nation. The issue of poverty is amply reflected in Goals One and Two of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As such, allow me to share a little of my experience in this area with the Cabinet Committee.