KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is confident of meeting the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty eradication by 2015, said its permanent representative to the United Nations Datuk Hussein Haniff.
Hussein said this was due to the decrease in the poverty rate in the country, as well as the introduction of 1AZAM programme which provided employment opportunities to people categorised as poor and hardcore poor.
“In 2009, the poverty rate in Malaysia decreased to 3.8 per cent from 16.5 per cent in 1990. Since 2010, over 90,043 low-income families have benefited from the 1AZAM anti-poverty programme.
“The progress made in the course of achieving the MDGs has encouraged Malaysia to further improve other key areas of development in the rural populace, through the adoption of effective policy action,” he said.
Hussein said this in his speech on Agenda Item 21: Implementation of the outcome of the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the UN Human Settlement Programme (Habitat I) at the Second Committee of the 67th UN General Assembly in New York Thursday. The text of his speech was released here today.
Hussein said Malaysia had also introduced the House Assistance Programme to provide 50,000 new and restored houses for the poor and hardcore poor in the urban areas to eradicate urban poverty by 2013.
He expressed the hope that UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, would continue to identify and share innovative urban development planning and management approaches and practices that were responsive to the global challenges that emerged with rapid urban growth.
“We will continue to support the Medium-term Strategic and Institutional Plan for 2008-2013 and financing operations in support of pro-poor housing and urban development.
“We also hope that this plan will provide renewed impetus to coordinate implementation of the Habitat Agenda and improve the living conditions of the urban poor,” he said.
Hussein said Malaysia remained committed to implementing its international obligations in order to attain sustainable development.
“With the support of the developed and developing countries, through exchanges of ideas and knowledge between countries, we shall continue to strive to provide safe and sustainable living conditions for our people,” he said. –Bernama