Malaysia's Hardcore Poverty Eradication Claims: A Closer Look
The government of Malaysia has announced the eradication of hardcore poverty, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. Thousands of households continue to struggle to survive.
Post-Budget news reports highlighted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's announcement that Malaysia has reduced its hardcore poverty rate to 0.09%, proclaiming the government's success in eradicating poverty.
Notably, Malaysia has used hardcore poverty as an indicator for its anti-poverty programmes' successes, in addition to absolute or relative poverty lines.
The government celebrates eradicating hardcore poverty, but the real picture shows thousands of households still struggling to survive.
Author's summary: Malaysia's poverty eradication claims are misleading.