My take on poverty measurement and Malaysian society: A need for radical rethink? - Denison Jayasooria

Kuala Lampur, Sept. 24 -- Poverty measurement is a hot topic in Malaysia. The UN special Rapporteur on poverty had criticised Malaysia for low poverty measurement. In 2020 the government issued new poverty figures based on the Household Income Survey (HIS 2019). While the methodology of poverty calculation is the same the government adjusted the Poverty Line Income (PLI) from RM980 to RM2,280.00. Of this the Food PLI is RM1,038.00 and the non-food PLI is RM1,1170.

These changes were very much welcomed as it was a fairer capture of who are poor in Malaysian society from an income poverty measurement. In Malaysia we view the poor as very poor (absolute poverty), and another as not so poor but low income and the popular term has been the Bott...