No chicks, only empty coops left

Participants in the 1Azam poverty eradication programme sold the chickens and did not buy new chicks to continue the cycle.

KUALA LUMPUR: “When the auditor came, no chickens were found. All that was left were the chicken coops.”

That was the response of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA) Ministry secretary-general Mohd Arif Ab Rahman to the Auditor-General’s Report 2013 which revealed that the 1Azam poverty eradication programme was unable to increase the participants’ household income.

He said this when asked about the matter during the Auditor-General’s Report 2013 Series 3 media session at the Perdana Auditorium, Angkasapuri here today.

Mohd Arif said the ministry involved in 1Azam provided various forms of aid to programme participants to increase their monthly income, including the supply of chicks.

However, he said it was just sad that some participants failed to make optimal use of the aid.

“We gave them chicks and told them that once the chickens were sold, they should buy new chicks. Yes, they sold the chickens and received the money, but they spent it elsewhere. Now all that’s left are the chicken coops,” he said.

Mohd Arif said with this attitude, the participants would never get out of poverty.

“If they don’t want to try to increase their own income, no aid will ever work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry secretary-general Sabariah Hassan said 1Azam participants were low-income earners and the poor.

“Through the training and tools provided under the programme, we hoped that the participants’ income would increase up to RM300 a month, but no amount of aid and assistance will help achieve the objective if the participants did not even try to make it work,” she said.

The report, tabled at the Dewan Rakyat last Monday, revealed that participants of the 1Azam programme failed to make optimal use of the aid provided to them to increase their income due to several reasons, including tough competition and capital shortage.

The participants also claimed that most of them were old and not so keen on venturing into business activities.

– BERNAMA