KUALA SELANGOR, 10 May: The Hijrah programme is being implemented to empower the people to generate household income to comfortable levels, this joining the middle-income earners.

The Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, said to realise this, it has been targeted for 56,000 participants to receive the benefit in 56 State Legislative Assemblies (DUN) in 2017.

He said that it was part of the state government’s commitment to implement the people’s economic agenda.

“We cannot just let in villages with low and middle incomes to be left alone according to the rotation of the existing market with the help of the state government.

“Through this programme, they can move into the middle class and increase their household income to support their families in the future,” he said during the Cheque Presentation Ceremony for Phase Two of the Selangor Hijrah at the Kuala Selangor Indoor Stadium.

At the event, 2,325 participants from all DUNs received the Hijrah benefit, at a cost of RM12.26 million.

Mohamed Azmin said that the Hijrah makes it possible for small-time business owners who do not have the capital to be involved in entrepreneurship to face the tough economic climate.

He said that the initiative to develop small businesses is a long-term effort to eradicate poverty in Selangor.

“The state government is aware with the situation and economic status in the country today when the poor are still trapped in the shackles of poverty.

“Without funding government programmes, surely the people cannot afford to start businesses because of the cost of living and the very onerous working capital,” he said.

Hojrah was introduced by the Selangor government to push the poor into the middle-income group.

The programme is strengthened through the Selangor Microcredit Scheme (SkimSel) and the Urban Poor Microcredit Programme (MiMBAR).

The state government has also raised the allocation ceiling for both these funds to RM100 million compared to only RM70 million previously.

NS