Eradicate hardcore poverty in five years? This is a task easier said than done.

It is also not the first time we hear such a promise from our top leadership. The only difference in this instance is that it is pronounced after the general election not before it. In view of this, we can take it as something having more commitment.

My reservation is that as in the past, it only signals that the government will be spending a substantial amount of money. And when it comes to implementation, it would be subject to all forms of political and administrative abuse that would defeat the original noble intention.

Proper identification and definition is therefore necessary as to who these so-called 'hardcore poor' are and where are they physically located. The forms and monetary value of such assistance and the delivery channel must also be properly conceived and constructed.

Certainly assistance should be given based on merit, depending on the need of each identified target group and their ability to harness the maximum benefit from each programme.

It must never be done along racial or political lines. A lot of thought must be given towards the effective implementation and supervision of these programmes.

Frankly, each time I contemplate a government programme of this nature, I cannot help but see red in view of the perpetual abuse that has been committed by the administrative mechanism, let alone by the politicians and their proxies.

It is our hope that the 'hardcore poor', the real target group of this project, will benefit now at long last.