FORMER Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (PH-Air Putih) has urged the state government to reinstate the Bantuan Agenda Ekonomi Saksama (BAES) programme to address the alarming rise in hardcore poverty in Penang.
Lim highlighted that recent Federal Government statistics reveal Penang has the highest number of hardcore poor households in the country, with 1,650 families comprising 4,994 individuals.
“When the BAES programme was discontinued in 2022, the issue of hardcore poverty in Penang escalated.
“I urge the authorities to reintroduce this programme to help affected families break free from the poverty trap,” he said during the debate on the Penang 2025 Budget in the State Legislative Assembly on Nov 26.
The BAES initiative, operational before its cessation in 2022, provided targeted assistance to needy families, enabling them to rise above the poverty line. Its discontinuation, Lim argued, has left vulnerable households struggling to make ends meet.
In a related development, Lim reiterated his call for the state government to expedite the establishment of the Special Financial Zone (SFZ).
He emphasised that the SFZ would stimulate economic growth and create opportunities for Penangites, contributing to long-term poverty alleviation.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Siew Chia En