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OFFICIATING SPEECH
YB DATO' SRI ROHANI ABDUL KARIM MINISTER OF WOMEN, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
IN CONJUNCTION WITH
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HUMAN SUSTAINABILITY 2015
(INSAN 2015)
ROYALE BINTANG RESORT & SPA, SEREMBAN
19TH OCTOBER 2015 | 11.00 AM
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Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Salam Sejahtera and Salam 1Malaysia.
[SALUTATION]
Introduction
Alhamdulillah, let us extend our sincere gratitude to Allah S.W.T for
giving us the opportunity to be here today for the 2nd International
Conference on Human Sustainability 2015. I would like to bid all of
you and especially the overseas speakers and participants “Selamat
Datang” and welcome to Malaysia.
1. I would also like to congratulate the organisers in making this
conference a success. I am told that this event is a collaborative effort
involving several agencies and institutions, namely Universiti Tun
Hussein Onn Malaysia, Social Institute of Malaysia, Polytechnic, and
two Universities from Indonesia, Universitas Muhammadiyah
Makassar and Universitas Lancang Kuning.
Human Development and Gender Inequality Index
2. The theme chosen for this INSAN 2015 conference “Transforming Community Development through Human Sustainability
Enhancement: Aspirations and Challenges in the Future” is very
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close and relevant to what we in the Ministry of Women, Family and
Community Development are doing and aspiring.
3. The Human Development Report 2014 released by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reveals that Malaysia’s
Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2013 is 0.773 – which is
the high human development category – positioning Malaysia at 62
out of 187 countries. Between 1980 and 2013, Malaysia’s HDI value
had increased from 0.577 to 0.773, an increase of 34.0 percent or an
average annual increase of about 0.89 percent. Malaysia’s 2013 HDI
of 0.773 is above the average of 0.735 for countries in the high
human development group and above the average of 0.703 for
countries in East Asia and the Pacific. From East Asia and the
Pacific, countries which are close to Malaysia in 2013 HDI rank and
to some extent in population size are Thailand and the Philippines,
which have HDIs ranked 89 and 117 respectively. For your
information, HDI is calculated based on 3 dimensions that is; a)
Leading a long and healthy life, b) Education, and c) A decent
standard of living.
4. The report also revealed that Malaysia has shown very positive
improvement in all the three dimensions. Between 1980 and 2013,
Malaysia’s life expectancy at birth increased by 6.9 years (68.1 years
in 1980 to 75.0 in 2013), mean years of schooling increased by 5.1
years (4.4 years in 1980 to 9.5 years in 2013), expected years of
schooling increased by 3.7 years (9.0 years in 1980 to 12.7 years in
2013). Malaysia’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased
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by about 188.3 percent between 1980 and 2013. The GNI per capita
for 2013 was USD21,824 compared to USD7,569 in 1980.
5. As for Gender Inequality Index (GII), Malaysia has a GII value of
0.210, ranking it 39 out of 149 countries in the 2014 index. In
Malaysia, 66.0 percent of adult women have reached at least a
secondary level of education compared to 72.8 percent of their male
counterparts. For every 100,000 live births, 29.0 women die from
pregnancy related causes; and the adolescent birth rate is 5.7 births
per 1000 live births. Female participation in the labour market is 44.3
percent compared to 75.3 for men.
Ladies & Gentlemen,
1AZAM Programme and Productive Welfare Under the Ministry
6. Although the numbers and figures for HDI and GII provided by UNDP
have put Malaysia in a more superior position compared to other
countries similar in population size such as Thailand and the
Philippines, we at the Ministry believe more can be done in order to
improve the quality of life in Malaysia especially for those who are
below the poverty line.
7. The Ministry has been given the task to lead one of the National Key
Results Area under the Government Transformation Programme
(GTP) which is Raising Living Standards of the Low Income
Households (LIH). Efforts and initiatives have been taken and are still
watchala � 10/17/15 9:11 PMComment: Pls check this. Female participation rate of women in the labour force in 2014 was 44.3 betulkah???
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ongoing with the objective for eradicating poverty amongst
Malaysians. Initiatives such as 1AZAM and eKASIH are carried out
throughout the years and have benefited many of our target groups
especially the women. In 2014, more than 30,000 new participants
took part in 1AZAM Programme. A total of 24,897 participants have
successfully increased their monthly income by RM300, which is
substantial from what they were getting before the program. Under
the 1AZAM programme, participants are equipped with tools and
machines as well as relevant skills and knowledge so that they would
be able to lead a better life. Most of these participants are now
enjoying a better quality life and income. Many of them are now
having their own small businesses in various sectors namely
agricultural, tourism, food industries, tailoring and services. Loans
and micro credits are also provided under TEKUN (Tabung Usaha
Kumpulan Usaha Niaga) scheme, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM),
Agro Bank as well as some commercial banks in Malaysia.
8. Besides providing welfare assistance to the target groups, the
Ministry is focusing more on productive welfare approach for our
clients. This approach is targeting the clients who are still productive
in age and health, in becoming independent without having to depend
further on government assistance. It is an exit policy to encourage the
recipients to be self-reliant by actively being involved in employment
or income generation programmes.
9. I believe conferences, seminars and intellectual discussions such as
INSAN 2015 are important and are able to assist the Ministry in
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planning and executing effective future programmes. I hope the
outputs obtained through various studies and presented during this 2
day conference would shed some light on the issues and challenges
as well as opportunities related to community development
transformation and human sustainability. Indeed, the ministry is
looking forward to hearing new ideas and suggestions from everyone
attending this conference.
10. Before I conclude, once again I would like to congratulate all the
agencies and institutions for organising this conference. This
collaborative effort, I must say, is very commendable and should be
continued in future. Syabas! To all participants, thank you for
committing your time and energy towards this conference. I wish all of
you the best and a fruitful discussion. I am looking forward to hear the
results and resolutions of this conference.
11. With Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby declare the International
Conference on Human Sustainability Development (INSAN 2015)
officially open.
Wabillahi Taufiq Walhidayah Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi
Wabarakatuh.
Thank you.
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