A Case Study on Exploration of the Potential Empowerment of Poor Communities in Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh

Abstract

Each community has different ownership of community capital. This study highlights the exploration of the community's potential for the empowerment of poor communities through the case study of the Social Network Laboratory in Tok Bali Fisherman's Relocation, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. Community capitals refer to the potential that a community has which requires exploration to ensure the sustainable development of the community. This study is related to three elements of community capital namely human capital, social capital, and cultural capital. This study is a quantitative study of a deductive strategy using the concept of community development i.e., Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), involving 245 fishermen at the Fishermen's Relocation in Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, Malaysia. The results show that the level of human capital in Tok Bali Fishermen's community is moderate, indicating that they need to acquire more knowledge which will enable them to improve their existing skills. Interestingly, the social capital amongst Tok Bali Fishermen’s community is at a high level. This shows that this community has a good grasp on the social capital of bonding and bridging. Additionally, the cultural capital amongst Tok Bali Fishermen's community is also at a high level. The cultural capital, which is manifested by the interdependency, values, and cultures of the community in the Tok Bali Settlement area is also high. The level of income is insignificant to human capital, social capital, and even cultural capital. However, the level of education is significant to human capital and social capital but is not significant to cultural capital. This study proves that the community capital is crucial for the survival of the fishermen community in the Tok Bali Fishermen’s Relocation.