As Malaysia moves forward in the current challenging year, where economists have predicted a possible global recession and resurgent of health care concerns due to the rise of Covid-19 cases in China and climate change, it has become imperative for the Malaysian government to come up with necessary locally inspired strategies to protect and empower the urban poor and vulnerable.
One of those areas that need improvement is the way local government functions and how it would be able to meet the needs and aspirations of local citizens, not only in the area of garbage collections, or issuance of licences, but the importance of engagement and joint solutions with agencies and the local community to eradicate poverty.
It is unfortunate that after more than 60 years of Barisan Nasional rule and the shorter span of Pakatan Harapan rule, these parties have not been able to resolve some of the underlying issues related to the urban poor such as housing, public transport and reskilling and upskilling of the urban poor community.
For example, in Perak, the Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue (Acid) undertook a project called Agency Dialogue and Solution together with All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) within the Parliamentary constituency of Ipoh Barat in 2021.
A social-economic survey on the urban poor squatter areas around Buntong, Ipoh was conducted on January 2022 and presented to the mayor on April 2 of the same year, with the active presence of M. Kulasegaran who was the MP for Ipoh Barat.
There was an assurance given by Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin on action that could be taken, such as the formation of a task force and yet to date nothing concrete has been done by the local government.
The issues related to the urban poor are complex such as the occupancy of local government and corporate land by the urban poor.
These would need a coordinated effort between the local and state governments to ensure that these urban dwellers are given proper housing alternatives, besides creating an eco-system for the poor to strive in an urban context.
Such coordination is clearly lacking among local and state agencies which need to be addressed if there is going to be a serious effort by the unity government to eradicate poverty among the urban poor.
In this context, there is a need for a bottom-up approach in engaging local communities to play a significant role in eradicating poverty that requires a review of the current system of appointing councillors who are merely playing firefighting roles related to garbage collection and cleanliness instead of also undertaking a proactive role in addressing issues related to urban poverty.
Therefore, Acid urges the Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming to start reforming the local government system so that it is compelled to work in addressing issues such as urban poverty.
The significance of the performances of the local government machinery will only materialise if there are changes on the ground, especially in the plight of the urban poor.
Ronald Benjamin
Secretary Association for Welfare Community and Dialogue
