Gerakan is pleased that the Penang state government has announced it has eradicated hardcore poverty but questioned whether the project can be sustained.

In a statement, Penang Gerakan Wanita chief Ng Siew Lai said the state government should also be transparent and tell the public the implementation aspects.

She said there were several pertinent answers which the public needed to know.

“For instance, how do the affected families receive the money and is there any measure to ascertain there is no misuse of the fund by some?”

“What about the unemployed and vagrants sitting on bus stands. What about those piece-meal or part-time laborers who do not have a fixed monthly income. Are these people classified under the hardcore poverty category and also qualify for the aid?” Ng asked.

Ng said in fact, the state government should give the hook and not just the “fish” to the hardcore poor so that they could be self-reliant in the future.

‘We also hope this project is not another publicity stunt,” said Ng.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that there were no more hardcore poor in Penang.

Lim said the state government had ensured that each of the 728 hardcore poor families in the state had an income of at least RM500 per month.

He said a total of RM2.2 million had been collected from the private sector, including philanthropists and charitable businesses, under an initiative called “Partners Against Poverty”.