Adam Smith himself closely embraced a relative definition of poverty, arguing that to be poor was to have to go without what was needed to be a “creditable” member of society. He noted that, in his day and age, a man needed a linen shirt if he was to appear in public “without shame.” What defines being poor is not just being without a shirt (any shirt), but being without the means to be minimally respected in a particular society at a particular time.

Poverty is not only about money. It goes beyond that. Its about respect as well.

Its surely a good news for many of the poor folks, single parents, elderly people and so on who can hope to get more benefits. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is raising the eligible monthly income from RM400 to RM720.

Fifty-six thousand hardcore poor are expected to fall within the social and welfare net in addition to the existing 54,000 people already identified.

The obvious questions of how the recipients are being identified and elements of corruption/discrimination aside, what can our NGO’s do to help the ministry? I remember reading earlier that the Ministry and specially the Welfare Dept is lacking manpower. They need to depend on village heads, JKKK, local politicians, and NGOs. How is the information being flowed to the rakyat? Other than using MIC channels, the Ministry should include NGOs like spiritual organisations, and temple associations as well. Not sure if they are doing so.

In one way, its a good move since more people can enjoy cash inflow. On the other hand, this may encourage dependency on handouts.  The long term plan of providing a job and way out of poverty must not be neglected.

In just FOUR months, the Welfare Department have managed to locate 31,000 potential cases that need welfare assistance! Makes one wonder what they have been doing before this? Did this 31,000 cases fall from the sky overnight?

Welfare Department officers have searched and managed to locate 31,000 potential cases needing livelihood assistance.

The search since September was in response to a call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for active measures to ensure the underprivileged are not left in dire need.

“Of the 31,000 cases, some 17,000 are in need of our help,” Women, Family and Com­munity Deve­lopment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen told reporters at the ministry’s Qua­lity Day 2008 celebration at Institut Sosial Malay­sia yesterday.

She added that the ministry was currently providing various kinds of assistance to 160,000 needy folks. “Our services can be improved. There are still too many complaints from the public published in the media about the quality of our delivery, especially delays in attending to needy cases,” she said.

Dr Ng added that the ministry provided services to eight target groups — women, family, children, old folks, the handicapped, the abject poor, natural disaster victims and non-governmental organisations.

For next year, she said, the ministry had been allocated some RM933.2mil and 55% of the money would go to the target groups.

“I stress on the need for officers disbursing the financial assistance to be accountable and work with a sense of integrity,” she said.

For families or individuals receiving assistance, Dr Ng said that while relief was offered, it was always the ministry’s intention to wean them off government aid.

The ministry, she added, encouraged productive welfare, where aid recipients are given skills training leading to independent living.