SOCIAL INCLUSION ACT (SIA) 2012 PROPOSED

                

THE dialogue session was held on 29th September 2012. A total of 22 political parties from both sides of the divide were invited to this dialogue session heldat Rumah Anak Bangsa Malaysia. Two parties namely MCA and HRP (Protem) declined the invitation.

Thirteen parties did not respond to the invitation. Only seven parties attended. Parti PAS had intimated theywould attend but we understand that the representative was taken ill.

Representatives from STAR (Sabah) (Daniel John Jambun), SAPP (Benny Low), PSM (Sivarajan and Arutchelvan), PRM (Koh Swe Yong and Erick), DAP (Hannah Yeoh) and PKR (Winstone Beltrand) participated in the dialogue. Two UPKO representatives were in attendance too.

STAR (Sabah), SAPP, PSM and PRM have endorsed the proposed Act and pledged to implement it if they are to be part of the next federal government. The DAP representative on behalf of the party accepted the proposal in principle and informed us that she would bring the matter to the party for fuller consideration and, would revert back to us.

The PKR representative said he will table this proposal to the party leadership for a decision.

The proposed Social Inclusion Act was launched by SABM and HAKAM on the 14th of August 2012. It is a proposal to urgently address the root causes of poverty and marginalisation in a non-partisan manner. It proposes a new policy paradigm and delivery mechanism that depoliticises the implementation of socially inclusive programmes to address poverty and marginalisation.

It proposes the establishment of a Social Inclusion Commission answerable directly to Parliament. The Commission would be mandated to have oversight over all matters of poverty reduction and social inclusiveness.

SABM-HAKAM urged the endorsing political parties to consider making the SIA 2012 part of their election manifesto. SABM-HAKAM working committee will meet to take this civil society initiative further.