Poverty Eradication: Government Policies and Challenges to Eradicate Urban Poverty in Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia is moving forward to become an industrialized and developed nation by the year 2020. In line with this transformation, it faces challenges related to phenomena of urban environment. The migration of people from rural areas and international immigrants give a strain on the economy as well as the society. The government continues to implement appropriate strategies and programs by providing a variety of needs such as food, clothing, water, education and accesses to services such as health facilities and public transport since the 1970s. Although the programs succeeded in reducing the poverty rate from 21.3 percent in 1970 to 1.0 percent in 2012, there are still many things to be considered in order to overcome the new urban poverty phenomenon.