| HAVING a household income of RM1,000 is definitely bad, RM2,000 is not much better and even RM3,000 means that families in the city are barely making it in these hard times — and they need help. |
This was the worrying assessment of Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu and Professor Datuk Dr Mohamed Ariff, executive director of the Malaysian Institue of Economic Research (MIER).
Given that, urban poverty takes on a new definition and it means that even more city families are among the urban poor no thanks to the recent fuel hike and the rising food prices.
Their contention is that the urban poverty marker should be well above the current RM1,500.
Marimuthu went even further and said city families earning RM3,000 and below should receive government aid.
“It’s very tough, especially for a family living in the Klang Valley. Even those who make RM3,000 a month barely break even - it is the rental and petrol prices that remain the biggest expenses.
If you live close to your workplace in the city, the rent will kill you. If you live further away where the rent is cheaper, the petrol will kill you,” he said.
Selangor recently redefined urban poor by raising the bar to include families earning RM1,500 and below.
But, according to Marimuthu, Fomca has always pushed for aid to be provided to urban families who make RM3,000 a month (with two children) and RM5,000 a month (with four children) and below.
Ariff agreed that Malaysians in the lower income bracket are in a dire situation.
“It is difficult for a family that makes RM2,000 to cope and the harsh reality of the situation is that there are many who don’t even earn RM1,000 a month.
To be at the poverty line means that you are only able to afford the basic necessities such as food and shelter. And these necessities will cost more for those who live in urban areas,” Ariff said.
Both were adamant that a redefinition of the poverty line was needed as well as differentiating between the rural and urban poor as there is a significant difference in the costs of living.
“Despite all the talk about eradicating poverty in the country, the fact of the matter is that we haven’t been all that successful in achieving that goal,” said Marimuthu.
“The government must accept the reality of rising poverty and step in to assist. It’s getting too expensive to live in the Klang Valley and the lower income families are definitely feeling the pinch.
Lifestyles can be changed and budgets can be planned but at the end of the day, more needs to be done.” Among the solutions he suggested was to establish shops selling subsidised goods to cater specifically to the poor and access to free education where incidentals such as bus fees can be waived.
Said Ariff, “There will be adverse effects on families who have to forgo many things. They can forget about entertainment and even tuition for their children, putting them at a disadvantage.
In addition, substitutions and compromises will be made with food items, impacting their nutrition.” Marimuthu also touched on the social reactions that would most likely occur without government aid.
“It could reach that point where families split up due to the inability to cope, and more young people will drop out of school and join the workforce to help their families make ends meet. Not to mention the higher rates of petty thefts as people struggle to survive,” he said.
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