KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 ― The latest e-Kasih data verification shows that the number of poor and hardcore poor in Kuala Lumpur has increased to 10,200 families, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

He said the number was obtained from the department's Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) which showed 6,800 families in the poor category and 4,400 families in the hardcore poor category.

"This data is obtained based on the Poverty Line Income of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur which classifies families with incomes below RM2,216 as poor and RM1,110 and below as hardcore poor,” he told the media last night.

He said this after conducting a poverty survey and data verification for the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur at the Perkasa People's Housing Project (PPR), Taman Maluri, here.

Earlier, Mustapa visited four houses at PPR Perkasa and met with residents comprising those receiving social assistance and the disabled (PwD) besides having a dialogue with residents' associations.

Mustapa said 300 out of a total of 800 families in PPR Perkasa were currently receiving various social and welfare assistance.

"The visit tonight is to see for myself the situation of the urban poor, in the government’s effort to get the profiles of these families.

"The ICU JPM (Prime Minister’s Department) will identify families who need help and will go down to the field to provide explanations regarding the e-Kasih programme in the government's efforts to create a strategy to tackle urban poverty under the 12th Malaysia Plan,” he said. ― Bernama