An offer to the hardcore poor - Star

Aug 28, 2008 By CHAN LI LEEN

THE Ipoh City Council is offering three months’ free rental to the hardcore poor who want to trade at the Central Market in the city.

Datuk Bandar Roshidi Hashim said there were still about 50 vacant stalls at the market and the council was prepared to offer them to those willing to make their own living.

Roshidi handing out aid from the council to some of the 245 hardcore poor at Stadium Indera Mulia in Ipoh.

“The council will even help them get the relevant licences needed to trade,” he said after handing out aid and cash to the hardcore poor in the Ipoh Barat and Ipoh Timor parliamentary constituencies yesterday.

Earlier in his speech, Roshidi encouraged those who were still young and physically capable to start small businesses to improve their earnings.

“Maybe, you can even pick up a skill or trade such as cropping hair to start your own business.

“We will help you and if anyone has other suggestions on what the council can do to help further, we can listen,” he told the 245 recipients present.

Each of them received RM100, 30kg rice, 5kg sugar and 2kg cooking oil.

According to Roshidi, the exercise was not a populist move by the council but rather part of its efforts and determination to help eradicate hardcore poverty in the state by year 2010.

On a separate matter, Roshidi said there were no plans to enforce the requirement for rubbish bins to be placed in front of residential and business premises for now.

“We have decided to relax the ruling because we are of the view that forcing it on the people will not make them realise that keeping clean is actually a joint responsibility of the council and the people,” he said.

Roshidi also said the council, together with the Welfare Department and police, would continue to carry out raids against illegal parking collectors in the city.