Poverty levels in seven states in Malaysia comparable to rates in Africa

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The UNPD – United Nations Development Programme – said poverty levels in seven of Malaysia's states are comparable to those in poorer African countries. The UN agency called on parliamentarians to realise the urgency of implementing a policy to upgrade standards in health and education.

Richard Leete, the UNDP's representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, told Malaysia MPs Tuesday that the northern and northeastern states of Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island all have poverty levels around five per cent. Leete did not elaborate on how the poverty levels were determined and after the report, he was not available for comment and nor were his officers.

According to a report carried in the New Straits Times, Leete said the causes behind the highest poverty rate were geographic isolation and the enormous costs required for development.

In Malaysia, according to the reportage, the capital Kuala Lumpur and the states of Selangor and Penang had conditions and infrastructures comparable to those in advanced countries. However, the people in the poorer states faced substandard education and health services. "The government must target its policies more effectively in [those] states," he was quoted as saying. The presentation, which may viewed on the internet site of the Malaysian branch of the UNDP, emphasised the "strong geographical inequality in human development".

The four remaining Malaysian states, the relatively well developed Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor and Pahang, were not mentioned in the report.

• MALAYSIA
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• POVERTY