MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed’s decision to adopt the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) – a comprehensive methodology that takes into account the deprivations and realistic needs of households on the ground – for use by all major government stakeholders in the name of designing more efficient and targeted poverty alleviation programmes, must first begin by measuring the areas hit hardest by both the pandemic and the ongoing flood emergency – dual tragedies worsened through La Nina.
The decision by Mustapa followed results from the MPI announced in Parliament in July this year. This study calculated the varying dimensions of poverty experienced by 332 B40 households in Permatang Pauh.
Nine dimensions of deprivation were measured, and three of these specifically concerned Covid-19-related ramifications. During my speech back in July, I warned of the danger Malaysians would face – should the authorities fail to take precautionary measures in the lead-up to the monsoon season. The triple crises of the pandemic, flooding, and poverty will burden us all if we do not equip ourselves with the right policies, preventative strategies, and cross-agency programmes for a future-proof, crisis-proof Malaysia.
The study could only come into being thanks to the 332 households who opened their doors and hearts to share their realities on the ground as they grappled with poverty post-Covid-19, and not to forget the 14 enumerators of Permatang Pauh who went out into the field – in a pandemic – to collect data and distribute aid across a span of 14 days.
Specific Covid-19-related dimensions – including access to the internet and digital devices – are now being considered for inclusion in the new and improved national MPI. However, we must also be sure to take into account the impact of the devastating floods that have caused many to lose their homes; the dire state of the rakyat’s dwindling savings; and even issues of nationality as the floods not only destroyed properties, but also important legal documents and certificates.
Since last year, an estimated 580,000 to one million households have reportedly slipped from the M40 category into the B40 segment. The flooding crisis is further exacerbated with the rise of new Covid-19 clusters as a direct result of the disaster and the associated flood rescue efforts – impacting over 71,000 individuals to date.
The MPI was first introduced several years ago under the 11th Malaysia Plan. Unfortunately, due to the inadequacy of the metrics used, these measurements were unable to be formally recognised by the United Nations – a flaw highlighted by special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Philip Alston during a 2019 visit to Malaysia. With a calculated MPI of 0.0033 and official poverty rate of 0.4%, these were deemed too low to be a meaningful reflection of poverty in Malaysia.
The study headed by Prof Fatimah Kari – with work beginning as far back as 2019 – was the first of its kind to take into account the effects of the pandemic on deprivation in Malaysia. Its dimensions comprised housing; education of heads of households; sanitation; access to water; health; electricity; comfort within households, especially during lockdowns; loss of income and livelihood due to movement control orders; and deprivations associated with online learning.
We must ensure that the National Recovery Plan is properly executed – as the rakyat continue to bear Covid-19’s socio-economic effects, before the recent onslaught of the floods. Taking into account the staggering number of those affected by the floods, as well as the lives lost, the National Recovery Council’s work is only at the beginning stages.
We must continue to remain vigilant and proactive vis-à-vis our short, medium, and long term action plans – taking into account joint efforts by non-governmental organisations and individual volunteers who have, from the very beginning, powered ongoing relief work. The National Recovery Council must discuss its next steps to support the 71,000 individuals affected – the RM100 million allocation recently announced; RM1,000 distributed for each head of household (totalling an estimated RM17.75 million for an average four-person household); RM75.8 million in donations from government-linked companies and so on, including other forms of conditional aid from businesses, corporations, and other entities.
One question remains – is this estimated RM6,600 per household enough? In contrast, the National Disaster Management Agency received RM129 million last year, while the National Security Council received RM1.4 billion for its operations. Each affected four-person household requires, in truth, at least RM30,000 distributed in stages to meet their multidimensional needs – adding up to approximately RM532 million. Indeed, an MPI calculation for households affected by the flood emergency will allow the authorities to decide on the most meaningful forms of aid.
We must continue to persevere not only in terms of preparing future-proof mitigation strategies to face increasingly severe climate events, but also in measuring the varying dimensions of poverty so that the programmes and policies designed are able to benefit the greatest number of individuals. Only recovery plans that are empathetic, comprehensive, and realistic are able to sufficiently safeguard the well-being of the rakyat. – The Vibes, December 22, 2021
Nurul Izzah Anwar is Permatang Pauh MP
