00:00A targeted reduction of only 1.1% in the incidence of absolute poverty in the country shows a
00:06lack of ambition in the 13th Malaysia Plan, according to an economist.
00:11For Mohammed Abdul Khalid, the objective to bring the rate down from 5.8% currently to
00:174.7% over the next five years was in sharp contrast to the government's objective to
00:22make Malaysia a high-income nation.
00:25When tabling the 13 MP for debate at the Day One Rakyat on July 31, Prime Minister Anwar
00:30Ibrahim had said that the target was to also eradicate hardcore poverty, which now stands
00:36at 0.19% of all households.
00:39Mohammed, who served as Dr. Mahathir Mohammed's economic advisor during the latter second stint
00:44as Prime Minister, also took issue with the 15 billion ringgit increase in development
00:49expenditure to 430 billion ringgit compared with the 12 MP.
00:54He said that the extra 3 billion ringgit a year was insufficient and that more must be
00:58spent on healthcare, education and housing.
01:01Another shortcoming, he added, is Anwar's decision to ignore PRIMA, the previous government's
01:06affordable housing program, despite pledging to build a million affordable homes from 2026
01:11to 2035.
01:13He said another flaw in the 13 MP is its low target for narrowing the income gap, describing
01:18the government's target of narrowing the rich-poor gap by only 1% over 5 years as extremely modest.
01:25Dan is Roger Rizza.
01:27FMT.
