Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said in 2012 that the state would be 'miskin free' in a year. It means by 2013 (last year), the minimum household income per month would increase from RM600 to RM70.
It was a dream and a political propaganda. Nothing happened ever since!
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The average household size in Penang is 4.2 persons per household. Let’s assume that an urban Penang household consists of two adults and two children.
Let's just talk about food.
By logic, a 12-year-old boy would ideally require 2,480kcal of food per day while a seven-year-old girl would need 1,630kcal per day. Based on the recommended daily energy requirements for Malaysians, a total of about RM117 should be spent on food for this household per day.
This translates to about RM3,500 per month, substantially higher than the low income household level set by the government.
And this is just food expenses alone. There is non-food expenditure to consider as well, which includes housing, education, transportation and clothing.
So, how could a family earning RM700 per month survive?
In Singapore last year, Lim said Penang will become the first state in Malaysia to eradicate poverty by ensuring a minimum household income of RM770 a month, which is supposed to be higher than the national Poverty Line Indicator (PLI) of RM763 a month.
Any household with less than RM770 a month will receive a 'top-up' payment every month from the State Government.
“Socio-economic inequality is now widely believed to be an impediment to economic growth. In the last five years, we have become the first state in Malaysia to institutionalise annual financial assistance programmes for the poor and marginalised, such as senior citizens, the disabled, students as well as single mothers,” he said.
The DAP-led government has been boasting 'achievements'. What has been achieved in eradicating poverty in Penang?
Let's not ask him about low-cost housing which he promised, not just yet. Does he know what the poor eats?
It was a dream and a political propaganda. Nothing happened ever since!
The average household size in Penang is 4.2 persons per household. Let’s assume that an urban Penang household consists of two adults and two children.
Let's just talk about food.
By logic, a 12-year-old boy would ideally require 2,480kcal of food per day while a seven-year-old girl would need 1,630kcal per day. Based on the recommended daily energy requirements for Malaysians, a total of about RM117 should be spent on food for this household per day.
This translates to about RM3,500 per month, substantially higher than the low income household level set by the government.
And this is just food expenses alone. There is non-food expenditure to consider as well, which includes housing, education, transportation and clothing.
So, how could a family earning RM700 per month survive?
In Singapore last year, Lim said Penang will become the first state in Malaysia to eradicate poverty by ensuring a minimum household income of RM770 a month, which is supposed to be higher than the national Poverty Line Indicator (PLI) of RM763 a month.
Any household with less than RM770 a month will receive a 'top-up' payment every month from the State Government.
“Socio-economic inequality is now widely believed to be an impediment to economic growth. In the last five years, we have become the first state in Malaysia to institutionalise annual financial assistance programmes for the poor and marginalised, such as senior citizens, the disabled, students as well as single mothers,” he said.
The DAP-led government has been boasting 'achievements'. What has been achieved in eradicating poverty in Penang?
Let's not ask him about low-cost housing which he promised, not just yet. Does he know what the poor eats?