Sabah aims to slash absolute poverty to zero per cent by 2030

 By Olivia Miwil

June 16, 2026 @ 1:42pm

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Nor. NSTP FILE PIC

TUARAN: Sabah aims to reduce absolute poverty incidence to between zero and 0.1 per cent by 2030, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

He said the approach is in line with the state government's commitment to ensuring that the benefits of development are enjoyed fairly and equitably by all Sabahans, regardless of location, background or economic status.

To achieve the goal, he said the government will continue implementing the Sabah Poverty and Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme.

"The programme will be focusing on the provision of affordable housing, human capital development, job creation, skills enhancement, rural economic development and targeted financial assistance for those in need.

"This reflects the state government's commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the nation's development and that every citizen enjoys a better quality of life," Hajiji said at the launch of the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur) Outreach Programme for the Tuaran district at Dewan Sri Sulaman here.

Citing the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2024 published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Hajiji said Sabah's absolute poverty incidence declined from 19.7 per cent in 2022 to 17.7 per cent in 2024.

Hardcore poverty incidence also showed a reduction, from 1.2 per cent in 2022 to 0.7 per cent in 2024, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points.

"Although Sabah still records the highest absolute and hardcore poverty rates in Malaysia, the decline in these incidence rates indicates that the various policies and development programmes implemented by the government are beginning to yield results," he said.

Hajiji said the SMJ 2.0 Development Plan initiative also set a clear direction to gradually reduce poverty incidence through the implementation of more targeted, high-impact and sustainable development programmes.

Meanwhile, he said the state government is continuing the Syukur Programme this year with an allocation of RM339.16 million as part of the state's poverty eradication agenda.

The programme has enabled the number of recipients to be expanded from 100,000 last year to 140,000 this year.

The payments will be made in phases, with each phase disbursed in a lump sum covering a three-month period, totalling RM600, and credited to recipients' bank accounts, while cash payments will be made to eligible recipients.