Terengganu has eradicated hardcore poverty, with all 1,663 families on the eKasih list now reclassified following a recent income reassessment.

JERTIH: TERENGGANU has officially recorded zero cases of hardcore poverty as of last month, marking a significant achievement for the state’s social welfare initiatives.

The Terengganu Federal Development Department (JPP) confirmed that all 1,663 families previously listed as hardcore poor in the National Poverty Data Bank (eKasih) have been removed from that category following a reassessment based on the Poverty Line Income (PGK) conducted at the end of last year.

JPP director Datuk Abdul Kahar Abdul Latif stated that the state now has approximately 30,000 household heads still classified as poor, with a target to reduce this number by 30%, or about 9,000 families, within the first six months of this year.

He explained that the federal government is implementing various initiatives through close collaboration with federal and state agencies to ensure this new target is met.

“We are working with multiple agencies to address the actual needs of the affected families, including organising income-generating programmes and focusing on the welfare of their children,” Abdul Kahar told reporters after attending the 2026 Ramadan Ziarah Kasih Programme.

He added that efforts include strengthening the education aspect and offering short-term courses that can help families improve their income and move out of the poverty category.

The federal government has spent nearly RM1 million to assist more than 1,000 poor families in the state through the eKasih programme, including initiatives such as the Ziarah Kasih programme held during Ramadan.

 The Sun Malaysia