Murray Hunter
Unicef Study: 52 percent of children in low-income households in KL public housing eat fewer than 3 meals a day
MAY 15, 2024
The recently released Unicef study “Living on the Edge” found that one in two children in low-income families in Kuala Lumpur public housing eat less than 3 meals per day. This is a rise from 45 percent before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report stated as food prices keep rising, the poor are switching to low nutrition foods such as instant noodles and eggs for proteins.
The recovery of Malaysians from the Covid-19 pandemic hit those in poverty much harder than other sectors of society. This has put meat, chicken, and seafood out of the reach of low-income households as food staples.
According to the study of 755 families living in low-cost public housing, 82 percent were Malay households, 16 percent Indian households, and 2 percent were Chinese households. Of these, 59 percent were single mother and 59 percent of those with disabilities fell below the poverty line. Issues like poor health and depression were associated with these groups.
Even though the Malaysian economy grew 3.7 percent in 2023, unemployment fell to 5.9 percent, and financial relief programs like RAMLAH are in place, Kuala Lumpur’s poor are falling behind the rest of society, that are almost fully recovered.
Many of the households in public housing lived on salaries below RM 2,000 per month, and had to borrow money from friends and family, and/or sell their possessions to survive. Many cannot afford the rising costs of transport and those associated with school, so abandon their children’s education.
The only way many survive is from the generosity of NGOs that provide food and care packages to public housing communities.
This situation is occurring while prime minister Anwar Ibrahim gave a 13 percent pay rise to the most secure employed cohort in Malaysian social, the civil service. Just a couple of months ago Anwar announced that hardcore poverty had been eradicated in Kuala Lumpur.
The recently released Unicef study “Living on the Edge” found that one in two children in low-income families in Kuala Lumpur public housing eat less than 3 meals per day. This is a rise from 45 percent before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report stated as food prices keep rising, the poor are switching to low nutrition foods such as instant noodles and eggs for proteins.
The recovery of Malaysians from the Covid-19 pandemic hit those in poverty much harder than other sectors of society. This has put meat, chicken, and seafood out of the reach of low-income households as food staples.
According to the study of 755 families living in low-cost public housing, 82 percent were Malay households, 16 percent Indian households, and 2 percent were Chinese households. Of these, 59 percent were single mother and 59 percent of those with disabilities fell below the poverty line. Issues like poor health and depression were associated with these groups.
Even though the Malaysian economy grew 3.7 percent in 2023, unemployment fell to 5.9 percent, and financial relief programs like RAMLAH are in place, Kuala Lumpur’s poor are falling behind the rest of society, that are almost fully recovered.
Many of the households in public housing lived on salaries below RM 2,000 per month, and had to borrow money from friends and family, and/or sell their possessions to survive. Many cannot afford the rising costs of transport and those associated with school, so abandon their children’s education.
The only way many survive is from the generosity of NGOs that provide food and care packages to public housing communities.
This situation is occurring while prime minister Anwar Ibrahim gave a 13 percent pay rise to the most secure employed cohort in Malaysian social, the civil service. Just a couple of months ago Anwar announced that hardcore poverty had been eradicated in Kuala Lumpur.
To those Malays living in poverty, affirmative action towards Malays is just a hallow narrative.
How about adult and household?
ReplyDeleteI have rice only once a day!
Deletehttps://youtu.be/GCC19IS0_Zc?si=ughciWutj0dY5O0s
ReplyDeleteKetuanan should stop having children for god and race sake
ReplyDeleteAnd start children that you can afford to give physical and mental
care
God wants his creations to procreate and dominate the world. They say if God willingly provides you with kids, you need not worry, Your kids can flourish. Don't worry, 'Celah batu pun ada air.' , someone told me.
DeleteKetuannan mob should start embracing and practicing family
ReplyDeleteplanning and not embrace religious or race crap.
If they don't , will end up like Pakistan
once "someone" wanted Malaysia to have a pop of 70 mil (I think so as to drive his cars)
Delete95% of these low-income families r melayu B40.
ReplyDeleteTheir shares of free ketuanan manna have been hijacked by their elites!