PETALING JAYA: An Insurance Protection Plan for poor households that have lost their main source of income is among several measures identified by the Malaysian Social Protection Council (MySPC) to help the government achieve zero hardcore poverty by 2025.

       Another critical step in the fight to eradicate poverty is a Social Protection Database which will serve as a single gateway and reference point for social protection programmes across ministries and agencies, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

       These were among the dynamic and responsible social protection mechanisms formulated by MySPC, he added.

       “The first MySPC Meeting this year held on Wednesday (March 23) agreed to take several actions," he said in a statement after the meeting.

       "These include strengthening the social protection agenda up to administrative district level through state social protection technical committees to coordinate the next phase of the Mapping and Social Protection programme.

       “We hope to improve the socio-economic level of Malaysian Families by providing added value and focusing on the Income Enhancement Programme for Poor Heads of Household and the hardcore poor registered in eKasih.

       “The government will also provide an Insurance Protection Plan to poor households that lost their source of income due to the death of the heads of households.

       "This involves about 268,000 poor families registered in eKasih.

       “Each household will receive RM10,000 with an allocation of RM13.4mil per year,” he said.

       “MySPC today launched Phase One of the Social Protection Database, which is the Social Assistance (Federal) involving 167 programmes from 17 ministries or agencies containing 13.7 million individual beneficiary profiles up to 2020 and social protection programmes across various ministries and agencies.

       “This database will be the single gateway and the main reference source for social protection programmes that include elements of employment, social insurance and social assistance.

       “Full access to the system to the public and all stakeholders will be opened once the Social Insurance and Labour Market Intervention Module is completed after 2023,” he said.

       Ismail Sabri also said the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) had been picked to lead the working committee on Modernising Subsidies to Increase Productivity.

       Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri acknowledged the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the country’s economy.

       “After two years of facing the pandemic, Malaysia is now heading into an endemic phase starting April 1.

       “This pandemic has affected the country's economy as businesses could not operate properly, causing many to lose their jobs and some to fall into poverty.

       “The pandemic exposed the weaknesses of the social protection system of many countries, including Malaysia.

       “Thus, the government through MySPC has identified a social protection mechanism that is more dynamic, flexible and able to respond to any risks faced by Malaysian Families,” he added.