Alhamdulillah. YB Fuziah (Kak Gee) who attended the PH - Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul meeting today, informed me that MOF is keen to produce a Gender Responsive Budget (GRB) with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) elements for the upcoming budget. If truly realised, it would be a positive step towards addressing gender equality, and future proofing Malaysia. She also informed me that Minister DS Tengku Zafrul showed interests in MPI as a tool.

KEADILAN MPs have been working hard on these matters as part of our pre-budget preparations led by Wong Chen.

Thank you very much for the stellar work done, Ale, Wong Chen’s officer - for collating all the written suggestions and recommendations over the many pre-councils between KEADILAN MPs.

Having completed our MPI survey, led by Professor Fatimah Kari & her team, local enumerators and our ground office - culminating in a finalised report on measuring the different dimensions of poverty (six conventional & 3 COVID-19 related) in Permatang Pauh, -it brings me pleasure to have my colleagues champion a more progressive and future proof measurement of poverty & its alleviation in the upcoming Budget and 12th Malaysia Plan.

Our office finalised a few recommendations to the MOF - specifically seeking an MPI centred approach to poverty eradication; and adoption of gender responsive measures in the dispensing of our national budget. The findings through our MPI survey confirmed that women headed households are in deeper financial crisis in comparison to conventional households - with a concerning intergenerational lack of social and educational mobility and increased food poverty amongst children.

As such - our national budget must be responsive to gender - a principle that carries through to the point of implementation. Since MOF limited reps to three from each party; I urged that YB Fuziah be included together with Wong Chen and our SecGen. Kak Gee (YB Fuziah) has been a long time advocate of gender responsive budgeting and together — the three of them also stressed the need for Malaysia to achieve the SDGs - specifically the 5th, in tandem with a more realistic measurement of poverty.

As for me; the task of briefing Minister Dato’ Seri Mustapa Mohamed on our completed MPI survey & our discussion on the key highlights to be raised during our 12th Malaysia Plan RTM session tomorrow night gave me some hope - of a new dawn in poverty eradication - if not necessarily, new politics 😅 Cautiously optimistic, bak kata Uncle Wong Chen.

Much to do - waver, we mustn’t.

Please note we are planning the launch of our MPI report. Join us as the date nears #Parlimen!

UEFA clubs competitions committee have voted to scrap the away goals rule in European football which has been in place for 5️⃣6️⃣ years❗
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This decision will now need approval from their Executive Committee before it is finalised & implemented ❗

This is how we spent our 17th wedding anniversary...designing our dream kitchen for our new home #TheOldForgeCottage 🏡 It’s been many years since we worked on a mega project together. In the past, we used to be working together a lot. We have always loved working together and we make a good pair when we put our heads together and let our power combine!

Unfortunately, when my wife’s health deteriorated many years back, we had to put a full stop to all of it. But this time, with the blessings from The Almighty, we got to work together again. And this time for our very own dream home - Alhamdulillah.

Looking back to how she was a few weeks back, not able to speak, not able to eat, it’s almost impossible to imagine us working together again, ever. But when Allah says “Kun” (Be) then nothing is impossible. It’s truly a miracle from Allah that has drastically restored her condition to where she is today. Of course, she hasn’t fully recovered. But those who know my wife would know how strong a fighter she is - bless her warrior soul! InshaAllah one day, Allah’s miracle may heal her completely.

All praise is due to Allah and Allah alone for blessing us with the opportunity to sit down and work together again, doing things that we love the most - getting creative! Here is a sneak peek from our kitchen design session today. This is only the initial design, not yet finalised. We will be sharing more updates about our new humble abode from time to time. Hopefully you’re not going to get bored of it.

To my wife, thank you for being strong and not giving up for me and the children. I love you more than words can define, feelings can express and thoughts can imagine. We are a team and there is no”we” without U. It will be “uwe” or “weu”. My most brilliant achievement in life is persuading you to marry me. But I never put that on my CV!

And on this blessed day, I humbly put my hands together to request all of you to kindly pray for my beloved wife and our family. And in return, I pray to God to reward all of you abundantly for all of your kindness.

17 years and counting and to many more beautiful years together, 1st February 2004 - 1st February 2021 - till Jannah...
#WrittenByMrDad 🤍