ACCORDING to the GTP Annual Report released on 27 March 2011, there are only “108 extremely poor households” left. The GTP within a span of 12 months transformed the lives of 44,535 extremely poor households.
How does this miracle happen? Here’s the excellent analysis by Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia:
According to the chart shows from the link, they classified extremely poor household making RM530 and below in Sarawak.
I think our government should raise the bar to classify those extremely poor household in Sarawak to those only making RM1500 and below and not RM530 and below.
Even family people that earn Rm2000 has a hard time…Don’t the government know or they just shut they eyes…
In Kuala Lumpur Rm2000 a month for a family is rural poverty…I guess Rm1500 can be classified as poor if you are married and if you have children add Rm500 for each of them a month…
This is from the same government who promises to achieve high-income status of RM4000/month by 2020.
looking at high income status nations today, the minimum wage of Australia is about AUD496(RM1400)/week; UK GBP250(RM1200)/week; Italy is among the lowest paid in the EU with average annual salaries of RM90K or about RM7500/month; Croatian salaries are among the lowest in Europe at US$1000/month average…and most of them are already complaining about rising costs of living.
RM4K in 10 years might as well be the equivalent of today’s RM2K.
Maybe only the BN fat cats and their cronies will not feel the pinch…everyone else will be given the mushroom treatment.
That “etremely poor” benchmark could be 20-30 yrs old without considering inflation.
When you’re comparing incomes from other countries, it is a bit unfair to convert it to RM straight away because their cost of living is higher as well…
the 530 bar is meant for “extremely” poor… they haven’t even gone to the point of “poor” yet…
another example maybe can use is the Big Mac Index. i could not find the latest one…
In 2007/8 when I shopped for my household monthly provisions and a few kilos of fresh meat and produce, a full shopping cart would ring in at about RM350-400. From 2008 onwards a similar amount costs RM500-600…that’s a ballpark 25% or more increase. How much is the official inflation rate? If not because of price controls, that same cart would probably be at least RM700.
It’s only because many of us stay a few generations with multiple income streams under one roof and share the expenses that help scrape by. Try living on your own i.e. single family with 1 or 2 kids on single stream income on RM4000/month (that’s a little over US$1300-equiv. to low income category in US; about par with Croatia)…don’t forget many European countries / US have also some form of social welfare.