Child poverty in Malaysia: What do Malaysians think?

• Main Author: Jamaiudin, Norhaslinda
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: H Social Sciences (General); H96 Public policy (General), Policy sciences; HV697 Protection, assistance and relief
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/93379/1/index.html; http://irep.iium.edu.my/93379/3/CHILD%20POVERTY.ICOPS%202021.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/93379/
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Abstract Child poverty is a prevailing issue in Malaysia. The report published by UNICEF in 2018 on the status of child poverty in Malaysia signals much-needed reform in poverty alleviation programs. The report disclosed the conditions of children who are living without sufficient amount of food, lack of nutritious food, proper shelter and some of them are not able to go to school (The Star, 2018). Accordingly, 99.7 per cent of children in low-cost flats live in relative poverty and 7 per cent in absolute poverty; about 15 per cent of children below the age of five are underweight, about 22 per cent of the children are stunted and only 50% of 5 to 6-year-olds attend pre-school enrolment (UNICEF, 2018). Child poverty shall not be perceived as a minor concern hence living in a poor household is detrimental to children’s educational attainment and development. As such it is pertinent for the government to re-assess their poverty policy measures and call for a rigorous drive to alleviate child poverty by developing programs exclusively targeted to children. To date, the issue of child poverty has not received the policy attention it deserves. The current poverty policy is inadequate in coping with the needs of children living in poor households. Continuous endeavours by the government to eliminate poverty through various national development plans seemed deficient hence children hardship remains oblivious to many. Poor children have many needs, but money matters the most. Coming from unfortunate family backgrounds, many of these children suffer material hardship, underachievement in school and eventually leave school at an early age. According to the report number of registered students decreased despite the increasing number of children in the current population (Joseph Chin, 2017). This is a worrisome situation as deprivation in life could lead to many problems including underachievement, illiteracy, juvenile delinquency and many others (UNICEF, 2018). Apparently, the poor living condition takes a toll on the lives of children, thus limiting their life opportunities in all aspects. Since this is a newly recognised issue in Malaysia, the study, therefore, seeks to examine the existing measures employed by the government in addressing the need of children living in a poor household and to assess public perception on two aspects; firstly to assess Malaysian perception on the constitutive rights of poor children and their perception on the adequacy of the government policy response in addressing the issue.