HARDCORE POVERTY CANNOT BE ERADICATED OVERNIGHT

NIBONG TEBAL (Malaysia), Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Hardcore poverty cannot be eradicated overnight as it needs planning and integrated action by government agencies and the hardcore poor themselves.

Rural and Regional Development Ministry advisor Zainal Abidin Osman
said the Barisan Nasional government had set five to 10 years to solve the
problem so that it could be approached in an integrated manner.

In certain northern states like Penang, hardcore poverty could be
eradicated much earlier as the state had the least number of hardcoor poor, he
said.

"Last year, when I was still the ministry's deputy minister, I had
announced
that the hardcore poverty in the state would be eradicated by end of 2008," he
told reporters after handing over Hari Raya contributions to patients at the
Sungai Bakap Hospital here.

He was therefore not surprised with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's
claims that the state government would be able to solve the hardcore poverty
problem in year.

"The previous administration had laid out all the necessary
programmes.

"I say congratulations to the Penang People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat)
government if it can really do so in a year without taking into account the
works done by the previous administration," he said.

-- BERNAMA