Malaysia’s social equilibrium will collapse if the increasing trend of urban poverty is not arrested soon, warned a social worker based on findings of a survey of squatters in Kuala Lumpur. Citing a United Nations Development Programme report, Jasmine Adaickalam, the service director of Yayasan Strategik Sosial ( YSS ), MIC’s social arm, said the trend was worrying.
“According to the 8th Malaysia Plan (2001-2005), the poverty rate in Kuala Lumpur has also increased from 0.5 percent in 1995 to 2.3 percent in 1999, (a 1.8 percent increase),” she said when delivering a paper on ‘Solutions and strategies to overcome urban poverty’ at a national conference last Friday.
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Jasmine Adaickalam |
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Jasmine said the increase in urban poverty could be due to factors such as rural-urban migration or the increase in female-headed households.
According to the YSS Micro Study 2000 report, she said the incidence of poverty in female-headed households stood at 16.9 percent, higher than the urban poverty rate of 2.3 percent in the country’s capital.
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Inaccurate measurement
The report also showed that the rural-urban migration, encouraged by rapid urbanisation in the past decade, had resulted in more squatter areas in and around Kuala Lumpur, she added. “Although Malaysia has managed to effectively reduce the incidence of poverty and hardcore poverty over the last three decades, urban poverty is on the rise and the fluctuating figures provide no proper solution to the problem.” Jasmine said figures on poverty in Malaysia seemed low because the same yardstick was being used to measure both rural and urban poverty, where the former is based on the income level and the latter, on access and opportunities.
Citing several case studies, she said the current system of definition and measurement of poverty may not be practical and applicable given existing conditions.
She said there are other considerations such as calorie intake and nutrition levels, clothing, sanitation, health and education.
In addition, a measure of poverty level should take into account the minimum nutritional and other non-food requirements of each household to sustain a decent standard of living, as well as increase in prices of goods.
Echoing her, Deputy Rural Development Minister G Palanivel urged for all cases to be treated seriously “even if the poverty rate was minute because the problems faced by pockets of the poor multiply over time”.
“We cannot be lulled by the (seemingly low) figures on poverty and the number of poverty eradication programmes we have implemented.
“Urban poverty has to be addressed with radical and immediate measures,” he said during a special ministerial panel discussion on ‘Overcoming urban poverty — the way forward’ at the conference.
Pockets of poor
However, Halipah Esa, the deputy director-general (macro) of the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department, said poverty “is no longer a serious concern” in Malaysia, thanks to the poverty eradication strategy adopted in the New Economic Policy in 1970.
In her paper ‘Framework of urban poverty policies and strategies for alleviation’ delivered in the first session, she said the urban poor comprise the unemployed and those engaged in low-skill urban activities such as petty traders, hawkers and stall-holders. |
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“We also need to address issues of psychology, attitude and mental strength of the urban poor,” she added, listing down existing urban poverty eradication programmes including for single mothers, micro-credit financing schemes as well as motivational and self-development courses.
YSS executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria, in summing up the conference, said that while poverty may not be regarded as a major issue by the government, “the deprivation faced by ‘pockets of the poor’ and ‘vulnerable groups’ still requires urgent multi-sectoral intervention”.
He said different yardsticks of measurement must be introduced to define rural and urban poverty, taking into account the reality on the ground especially the deprivation experienced by urban poor families.
“Income indicators alone are inadequate in measuring urban poverty. Specific indexing based on educational/training achievements, housing, health and nutrition, family, crime, violence and social ills should be used,” he added.
About 150 participants from the public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations and community groups attended the forum on ‘Urban poverty: advocacy, empowerment and poverty alleviation’.
It was jointly organised by YSS, the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, the Rural Development Ministry and the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department.
(Submitted on 11th November 2002)
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