GEORGE TOWN: Although Penang has pledged its support in the recent call for a revision on how poverty is calculated in the country, it prefers that the poverty line index (PLI) is broken down to reveal data of each state and district.
There should also be a comprehensive PLI study to clearly show the difference between the poverty levels in the urban, semi-urban and rural localities in Malaysia, said state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh (pix) in an interview.
Phee proposed a breakdown for each state so more attention can be focused on areas where poverty is at its highest.
He commented on the recent suggestion by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Prof Philip Alston, who called on Malaysia to reassess its poverty levels after he claimed that independent analysis pointed out that the poverty rate was between 16% to 20%, and not 0.4% as illustrated by the federal government.
“Is a person earning RM1,500 considered poor in the Klang Valley?” he asked.
“What if that person earned that amount but lived in Perlis? I think the person would be wealthy living in Perlis with RM1,500. We must clearly define and distinguish the disparity in living costs in different localities,“ Phee urged.
There is also a need to check the living cost index which may differ from locality to locality due to the supply chain factor, as well as the varied differences in the needs of consumers across these different locations. He pointed out that Penang and Selangor are states which offer aid to the low income group (B40), senior citizens, the disabled and single parents and that monetary assistance is also handed out to students from low income families.
“I believe the country needs to have an accurate definition on poverty to enable the authorities to come up with schemes and eradicate poverty. Both the public and private sectors need to have a full grasp of what is happening on the ground, especially among the urban and rural poor communities,” Phee said and added that Penang is open to sharing with any authorities on how it deals with poverty.
Sharing his views was the Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid, who proposed the PLI be revised and that the government stop denying the fact that there are no destitute persons living in Malaysia.
Muhammed also urged the government to come up with ways to bridge the income gap and increase social mobility among all Malaysians.
