The rate of poverty in Malaysia is the lowest, compared to other Southeast Asian countries, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak.
Only 3.8 percent are poor in Malaysia compared to Vietnam and Indonesia (11.3 percent), Thailand (12.6 percent), Laos (22 percent), the Philippines (25.2 percent) and Myanmar (32.7 percent), he said, following a recent report by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook 2017.
“I feel grateful over Malaysia’s success in ensuring the well-being of the people,” Salleh wrote on his blog today.
The report reveals that Malaysia’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is US$27,200, which is far better than those of its regional peers such as Thailand (US$16,800), Indonesia (US$11,700), the Philippines (US$7,700), Vietnam (US$6,400), and Myanmar (US$6,000).
However, Salleh said, certain quarters feel the country has been left behind, though the current data clearly shows that Malaysia`s economic growth is much better than its neighboring countries.
He is also confident that 2018 promises a better outcome for the lives of the people, through the government’s efforts at making Malaysia a high-income nation.
