GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government has expressed its confidence in its ability to maintain its position as the state with the lowest incidences of poverty in the country despite the challenges brought by the pandemic.
State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, who oversees the welfare portfolio, said he was informed that Penang continues to enjoy the lowest incidences of either rural or urban rates, although the poverty rate has been recalibrated, owing to the ill effects of Covid-19.
“We have enhanced our ability to fight poverty, owing to various federal and state socio-economic initiatives, and we uphold our slogan that nobody is left behind in Penang.”
He said that the incidences of poverty are now confined to migrant workers, either foreign or domestic, who relocated to the state for better employment prospects.
He estimates that number to be 20,000 households, and given time, they could escape the poverty trap with help rendered by both federal and state authorities.
It was reported that the Statistics Department (DoSM) had revised the absolute poverty rate in 2020 from 3% to 8.4%, although it is now believed to have dipped due to the rebound in economic growth.
DoSM also revised the national poverty line income from RM980 to RM2,208, which means that over 400,000 households in the country with monthly income below this level were considered poor in 2019.
However, data shared by the public think tank, the Penang Institute, shows Penang’s absolute poverty rate shrank by a marginal 0.3% from 2.2% in 2016 to 1.9% in 2019, strengthened by the level of growth in the median household income for all districts except Balik Pulau and Kepala Batas.
However, it cautioned that relative poverty remains a focal point in Penang due to the rising living costs sparked by the rising global inflationary rate.
To this, Phee said he would rather not dwell on the figures, but based on the work by the local welfare authorities, absolute poverty is manageable, it is not a runaway number.
“The state’s welfare aid programme is also helping by targeting senior citizens, the disabled, and single mothers.
“It has since expanded to housewives and students,” he said after attending the multinational corporation Plexus Corporation cheque presentation ceremony here.
The company donated RM75,828 to the less fortunate in Penang.
“Those earning less than RM1,500 are entitled to state aid, while they can also seek assistance to locate better paying jobs through the various job portals and fairs.
“The homeless rate is also under control based on the data provided by the state welfare authorities. Those who continue to sleep along the five-foot pavement do it intentionally because they refuse to relocate to their halfway homes here.
“What is needed is more determination to address the fact that Penang will become an ageing state by 2030, when 12% to 13% of the population will be categorised as old.
“This may create pockets of poverty if nothing is done to address the need to retune the lifestyle here to enable the old to be active and attend to their healthcare needs.
“There must also be jobs for the elderly so they do not stop contributing to society,” he says.
Phee also encouraged civil societies to help distribute food so the poor can access it through food banks and soup kitchens. – The Vibes, May 28, 2023
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