KOTA MARUDU: Efforts are being made to eliminate absolute poverty in Sabah's Kota Marudu district, where a large number of people have been categorised as the poorest in Malaysia.

       Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said a Poverty Unit is expected to be set up at state and national levels to eliminate hardcore poverty by 2025.

       "The Prime Minister's Department (Economy) is drawing up the Poverty Unit under the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to coordinate policy matters on alleviating poverty at the national level.

       "On our side, we are ready to work with the unit to eliminate hardcore poverty (in Kota Marudu)," he said during the joint annual general meeting of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) divisions in Kota Marudu on Monday (March 14).

       Ongkili, who is Kota Marudu MP, said a similar approach could be taken by the state government under its Sabah Maju Jaya programme.

       "We can promote agriculture, such as coconut and (durian) musang king, which are among the crops with great market potential," he said.

       In 2020, the Statistics Department indicated that the national poverty rate stood at 5.6% while in Sabah, it was 19.5%.

       Ongkili said the Sabah and Sarawak Division was currently collecting data to get a more accurate picture of the poverty rate in Sabah.