KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has called on elected representatives, district officers and grassroots leaders to report cases of poverty and hardcore poverty to the Sabah government through the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) secretariat. He also announced plans for an engagement session with non-government assemblymen on Nov 28 to gather comprehensive data on affected households. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hajiji has directed the SMJ Secretariat to organize this session to refine the list of identified Heads of Households (KIR) and Household Members (AIR) eligible for aid in their respective areas. This effort aims to ensure no one is left behind in the hardcore poverty eradication program in Sabah. Hajiji expressed the belief that the actual numbers of poor and hardcore poor households are higher than those previously reported. Yesterday, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan stated that as of September, Sabah recorded 3,978 hardcore poor households an d 68,089 poor households. During the debate, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Senallang) suggested that poverty classification in Sabah should consider entire households rather than focusing solely on KIR data. He emphasized that in Sabah, a single house often accommodates multiple families, which should be considered in poverty classification. Hajiji agreed with this perspective, underscoring the need for accurate information from grassroots leaders to tackle the issue effectively. He reiterated the importance of channeling data to the SMJ secretariat, noting that poverty and extreme poverty remain widespread. Hajiji called for collaborative efforts to alleviate these hardships and emphasized that working together is essential to free people from these challenges.