Multidimensional Deprivation Determinants among Lower Income Group Households in Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

Poverty alleviation, socio-economic wellbeing, and sustainable livelihood of the stakeholders are among the prime initiatives of the 2030 shared prosperity vision of the Malaysian government. The agenda is part of the blueprint in the 2030 vision for the period of 2021 to 2030 to increase the income of all ethnic groups particularly the Bumiputeras comprising the lower-income group which is referred to as B40, the hard-core poor, the economically poor, those in economic transition, Orang Asli, Sabah, Sarawak Bumiputeras, the disabled, youths, women, children and senior citizens by 2030. Therefore, the present study investigates the current status and the influencing factors of multidimensional deprivation comprising health safety, education, and living standard among the lower-income group in Malaysia’s wealthiest state, Selangor. The study adopts a quantitative approach in analysing the primary data from 404 samples of the B40 groups of the population that reside in Selangor nine districts. A purposive stratified random sampling method is used to select the respondents. Descriptive statistics, econometric techniques, Malaysian Human Poverty Index (MPHI) are utilised in the analysis. Based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) result, the study revealed that the overall incidence of deprivation to the access of basic education among the households was 1.26%, access to basic healthcare deprivation was 1.95%, and standard of living deprivation was 4.51% among the lower-income group in Selangor, Malaysia consequently. The study also checked the intensity of the deprivation gap within the above category of indicators and concluded that there is 2.51% still away from basic education access, 3.98% for basic healthcare, 36.14 % of them are in the standard of living deprivation stage among the lower income group in Selangor, Malaysia. Finally, the present study summarized that overall Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) score whereas, there is 0.0029 or .29% of the respondent are depriving together in the category of basic education, health, and standard of living among the lower income group in Selangor, Malaysia.