Factual background recorded by the HRP, Malaysia based on newspaper articles reported in Malaysian newspapers.

Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010 in daily segments No. 28 (9/2/11).

10.1.1 Factual background recorded by the HRP, Malaysia based on newspaper articles reported in Malaysian newspapers:

10.1.2 Updates

The situation on the above crisis remains unabated for the ethnic Indian poor at review date of the report by the HRP, Malaysia.

• The target of the 9Malaysia Plan (2006 – 2010) was to reduce the incidence of poverty to 2.8% by 2010 and totally eradicate extreme poor living conditions for those on poverty line.
• In 2006, a total of 2,136 households on abject poverty line in rural areas were provided with home re construction assistance, which benefited 10,680 household members.
• In 2007, housing assistance was provided to 1,942 destitute families (The Star, 10 January 2010, page N14)
• Malaysia has reduced poverty by nearly half the population (49.6%) since the 1970’s. Poverty line dropped from 5.7% in 2004 to 3.6% in 2007. The urban poverty line dropped from 2.5% in 2004 to 2.0% in 2007 while in rural areas it declined from 11.9% to 7.1%
• In April 2010, Malaysian PM Mr Najib announced that he would focus on the group earning RM1,500.00 (Utusan Malaysia, 6 April 2010, page11)
• Low income households/families (LIH) are those with a total income of less than or equivalent to RM2,000; poor income household families (PIH) are those with a total income of less than or equivalent to RM750.00 per month
• Extreme poor household families (EPH) have a total monthly income of less than or equivalent to RM440
• Details of low income households are entered into the government scheme – E-Kasih System, the Welfare Authorities is to identify and track the aid distribution across the country. 44,643 of extreme poverty households have been under the system (NST,16.07.10, pg 25)
• The process of distribution for first time applicants will be reduced from 2 months to 7 days with Smart Card and vouchers will be issued to individuals indentified as PIH or EPH (The Star, 29 January 2010, pageN41).
• 2.4 million households, which came under the LIH, earned a total monthly income of RM2,300 with 1.8% identified as poor and 7.8% identified as living on abject poverty line.