Sabah remains poorest state in Malaysia
Malaysia’s national statistics department in its latest survey found that Sabah remains Malaysia’s poorest state, followed by the northern Peninsular state of Kelantan on the border to Thailand.
The figures show that Sabah – despite its rich oil resources – recorded the highest poverty rate at 19.5 per cent with 99,869 households below the 2019 poverty line income level of 2,208 ringgit ($537) per household per month. Kelantan had a poverty rate of 12.4 per cent with 42,671 impoverished households, followed by Sarawak with a nine per cent poverty rate, or 56,165 households below the threshold.
The New Straits Times cited the minister in the Prime Minister’s department for economy, Mustapa Mohamed, as saying that the poverty rate figures would be used as a reference to improve policies under the 12th Malaysia Plan, an economic roadmap for the country which has a “shared prosperity vision” for up to 2030.
Mustapa noted that the central government has set up a cabinet committee chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to manage the issue of poverty in Malaysia.
There are some districts in Sabah with a particular high poverty rate, namely Tongod at a whopping 56.6 per cent, Pitas with 53.6 per cent, Kota Marudu with 46.1 per cent, Beluran with 45 per cent and Telupid with 40.7 per cent, all of them in the central and northern parts of the state.
Mustapa also noted there could be more people in Sabah falling into poverty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but specific research into the fallout of the virus crisis and its impact on poverty had yet to be carried out.
Sabah has a poverty rate of 19.5 per cent, the highest in Malaysia. Pictured: The famous fish roundabout with the Marlin Statue in Sabah's capital Kota Kinabalu © Arno Maierbrugger Malaysia’s national statistics department in its latest survey found that Sabah remains Malaysia’s poorest state, followed by the northern Peninsular state of Kelantan on the border to Thailand. The figures show that Sabah – despite its rich oil resources – recorded the highest poverty rate at 19.5 per cent with 99,869 households below the 2019 poverty line income level of 2,208 ringgit ($537) per household per month. Kelantan had a...
Malaysia’s national statistics department in its latest survey found that Sabah remains Malaysia’s poorest state, followed by the northern Peninsular state of Kelantan on the border to Thailand.
The figures show that Sabah – despite its rich oil resources – recorded the highest poverty rate at 19.5 per cent with 99,869 households below the 2019 poverty line income level of 2,208 ringgit ($537) per household per month. Kelantan had a poverty rate of 12.4 per cent with 42,671 impoverished households, followed by Sarawak with a nine per cent poverty rate, or 56,165 households below the threshold.
The New Straits Times cited the minister in the Prime Minister’s department for economy, Mustapa Mohamed, as saying that the poverty rate figures would be used as a reference to improve policies under the 12th Malaysia Plan, an economic roadmap for the country which has a “shared prosperity vision” for up to 2030.
Mustapa noted that the central government has set up a cabinet committee chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to manage the issue of poverty in Malaysia.
There are some districts in Sabah with a particular high poverty rate, namely Tongod at a whopping 56.6 per cent, Pitas with 53.6 per cent, Kota Marudu with 46.1 per cent, Beluran with 45 per cent and Telupid with 40.7 per cent, all of them in the central and northern parts of the state.
Mustapa also noted there could be more people in Sabah falling into poverty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but specific research into the fallout of the virus crisis and its impact on poverty had yet to be carried out.
