UN criticises Malaysia, calls for review of poverty data
The Malaysian government says only 0.4 per cent of its population lives below the poverty line. For the UN special rapporteur, the real figure is 16 to 20 per cent. About 9 per cent of households survive with less than 2,000 ringgit (US$ 477) per month.
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The United Nations has challenged the Malaysian government's claims that the country has almost eliminated poverty.
Malaysia's official poverty rate dropped from 49 per cent in 1970 to just 0.4 per cent in 2016. But for Philip Alston (pictured), UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, official numbers rely on outdated measures, with the poverty line remaining at the same level for decades despite increasingly high costs of living.
Yesterday, the expert held a press conference at the end of an 11-day visit to the Southeast Asian country. In it, he said that studies by independent groups suggest that there is still significant level of poverty. More realistically, the rate ranges from 16 per cent to 20 per cent.
“The government's official figures would make it the world champion in eliminating poverty ... but I think it's pretty obvious that that's not the case,” Alston explained.
The national poverty line of RM980 (US$ 234) per household per month was "ridiculous", as it would mean an urban family of four would have to survive on RM8, or less than US, per person per day.
The UN rapporteur noted that about 9 per cent of households survive on less than RM2,000 (US$ 477) per month, adding that poor people in Malaysia, especially indigenous Orang Asli, suffer disproportionately from violations of their civil and political rights.
“Indigenous peoples suffer much higher rates of poverty,” he said, “and despite laudable commitments by the government to ensure their rights, the customary land of indigenous communities remains under siege, jeopardising their livelihoods, food security, and access to traditional medicines.
Alston, who plans to present a comprehensive report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in June next year, pointed out that many non-citizens, including migrants, refugees and stateless people, are barred from public schools, face severe barriers to healthcare and are often unable to work legally, yet are systematically excluded from official poverty statistics.
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