Where the poor gets poorer

The Auditor-General's Report states that instead of wiping out poverty in Negeri Sembilan, the state is experiencing an increase in poverty.

SEREMBAN: There is something amiss in Negeri Sembilan’s poverty eradication programme. Instead of getting better, it is only getting worse and the poverty rate has increased by 178 percent in the last three years.

The Auditor-General’s Report stated that out of 10 poverty eradication programmes implemented in the state, seven were rated as not impressive. That means 70 percent of the programme had failed.

Negeri Sembilan PKR chief Mohd Nazree Mohd Yunus said: “I worry that there is possibility of bribery and political interference in these programmes.”

He said that this was only one aspect of mismanagement by the state government and PKR has lodged a police report asking the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission to investigate.

Mohd Nazree said that the AG’s report also exposed sand theft activity at the Jijan River.

“Based on all these evidence, we have asked the MACC to start an investigation.

“These are not our allegations but all these are in the audit report,” said Mohd Nazree.