Malaysia has not eradicated poverty and one in six are still considered poor, says UN envoy

Malaysia’s official poverty rate fell from 49 per cent in 1970 to just 0.4 per cent in 2016, but the UN has challenged this claim

Undercounting poverty means Malaysia underinvests in poverty reduction and in social protection programmes

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Girls make their way home after school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:18pm, 23 Aug 2019Updated: 4:17pm, 23 Aug 2019

A United Nations special rapporteur on Friday challenged Malaysia’s claim to have nearly ended poverty, saying there was “significant poverty” in the country, with an estimated one in six people considered poor.

Malaysia’s official poverty rate fell from 49 per cent in 1970 to just 0.4 per cent in 2016.

Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the rate was “extremely artificial”, relied on outdated measures, did not reflect the cost of living and also excluded vulnerable populations.

Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, speaks in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

Analyses done by independent groups suggest that the true poverty rate was about 15 per cent, Alston said.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s government, which won a stunning election victory to oust a long-ruling coalition in 2018, has not commented on the report, and did not respond to requests on Friday.