Extreme Poverty: Is There Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

A distance of more than 200 kilometres separates these two heads of households, yet they face the same hardship: extreme poverty. This harsh reality in the Land Below the Wind is vividly illustrated through the experiences of Amad Ranton and Ibrahim Mubarak.

Amad, 41, supports his family as a fisherman on Pulau Banggi, about 40 kilometres from the town of Kudat in northern Sabah, while, Ibrahim, 38, a construction labourer, struggles to earn a living to support his family, who reside in a squatter settlement in the heart of the city.

Each faces different challenges in breaking free from the shackles of poverty. For Amad, the isolation and limited access to basic services on Pulau Banggi are major obstacles, while Ibrahim grapples with the escalating cost of living as his income remains insufficient.

The reality is that extreme poverty in Sabah is a highly complex issue. Despite numerous initiatives planned and implemented by the government in the state since Malaysia's formation 61 years ago, the expected impact has been limited.

LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES  

Amad’s life on Pulau Banggi is a daily struggle against poverty. The house he shares with his wife and five children has just one room, which serves as their sleeping area, dining area, and everything else. A small veranda at the back of the house is used as their kitchen.

The house is in a dilapidated state and is one of around 200 wooden structures, some with thatched roofs, predominantly built on stilts over the water. These houses are continuously exposed to the weather and strong winds.

Faced with the high cost of living, especially house rent and high house prices, residents choose to live in slums on other people's land.

From the Dusun Bonggi ethnic group, Amad wakes up early each morning to prepare his meagre fishing equipment for a long day at sea, yet he remains grateful.

"As a fisherman and a father, every sunrise brings hope for me to earn my income, but it also brings its own set of challenges. The hope, of course, is to catch enough fish," he told the writer. Two of his five children, aged 11 and 8, are still in school. The other two, aged 12 and 15, do not attend school and instead accompany their father to the sea.

Amad relies entirely on the sea for his livelihood. With an old boat and unpredictable weather, his catch frequently falls short of expectations, making each day full of uncertainty.

 “If the weather is good, I can earn RM100 to RM200. But when the weather is bad and storms hit, there’s no income at all, and it’s hard to even keep the kitchen fire burning,” he added.

  As a father, Amad dreams of a better life for his children. However, the harsh reality of Pulau Banggi's lack of infrastructure brings him back to reality. His meagre income is insufficient to realise his dreams because his catch is bought at a low price by middlemen, who then need to transport the seafood to Kota Kinabalu for sale.

GRAPPLING WITH LIFE’S HURDLES

In the heart of Kota Kinabalu, Ibrahim lives in a squatter house built on someone else's land. The house, with its worn out wooden walls full of holes, offers little protection from the elements. In the heart of Kota Kinabalu, Ibrahim lives in a squatter house built on someone else’s land. The house, with its dilapidated wooden walls full of holes, provides scant protection from climate change.

Opportunities are scarce here, and the cost of living is sky-high. Working as a construction labourer with an unstable daily wage makes it extremely challenging for Ibrahim to support his family.

“Job competition here is fierce. For people like me and my friends, who have no skills, it’s tough to find work that can help us escape the hardships of life,” said Ibrahim, who has three children. Thankfully, his wife contributes to the family income by taking on jobs like sewing and peeling coconuts.

Despite his constant hard work, Ibrahim earns only around RM50 to RM60 a day, far from enough to cover rent, let alone buy a house. When a construction project ends, he has to search for a new site to find work and sustain his livelihood.

Ibrahim needs more than just financial aid; he requires affordable housing. However, house prices continue to rise each year, while wages remain stagnant.

 If there are skills training programmes available, Ibrahim might be able to secure a better job with a higher salary. Breaking the cycle of low-wage work is essential for him to escape the poverty trap.

Moreover, if there aree better social support systems, such as childcare and healthcare services, Ibrahim might be able to focus more on improving his standard of living.

MAJOR CHALLENGES  

The reality is that the stories of Amad and Ibrahim are just a small glimpse into the lives of thousands of others in Sabah. They are not Malaysians who are lazy or unwilling to work.

As of July this year, 22,510 heads of households who were on the extreme poverty list as of Jan 31, 2023, have successfully been removed from this status through Phase One of the Programme to End Extreme Poverty in the state.

Residents around the Kudat district sell a variety of seafood at the Pasar Tamu Kudat.

According to statistics from the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Secretariat of the Sabah Chief Minister's Department, which is responsible for implementing intervention aid to address the issue of extreme poverty, there are still 4,634 heads of households currently living in extreme poverty.

The figure of 4,634 heads of households includes new applications registered in the eKasih system, unregistered cases, and changes in status from poverty to extreme poverty. This number is slated to be addressed under Phase Two of the Programme to End Extreme Poverty in Sabah.

The 2022 Poverty Line Income (PLI) for extreme poverty in Sabah is RM1,218 for households and RM288 per capita.

According to the Secretariat, despite the implementation of numerous intervention programmes, significant challenges persist, particularly due to the large average household size of over six people. This often leads to an income that is insufficient to meet the basic food needs of the family.

UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE

Poverty is an issue that cannot be taken lightly, as highlighted by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, in an exclusive interview with Bernama.

He said there are several critical factors that urgently need serious attention and significantly contribute to the poverty issue, including education, infrastructure development, and geographic location.

Jalur Gemilang flutters majestically against the backdrop of Pulau Banggi in Kudat.

He stressed that collecting more detailed poverty data is a crucial step in planning more effective solutions.

According to the 2022 Household Income Survey (HIS) report, the average monthly gross household income for Sabah is RM6,171, which is lower than the national average of RM8,479.

The report said that the average monthly gross household income for Sabah is significantly lower compared to the top five in the country: Putrajaya at RM13,473; Kuala Lumpur (RM13,325); Selangor (RM12,233); Johor (RM8,517); and Penang (RM8,267).

The report, issued by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), also noted that the incidence of extreme poverty in Sabah is 1.2, the highest in the country, significantly higher than the national level of 0.2.

For comparison, Sabah's 1.2 level is much higher than Kelantan's 0.8, Sarawak's 0.4, Kedah's 0.3, Perak's 0.2, Terengganu's 0.2, while other states are at 0.1.

Kitingan acknowledged that extreme poverty is one of the biggest challenges currently faced by the Sabah government. This group often requires greater support from the government as they lack the ability to break free from the grip of poverty on their own.

He added that solutions can also be achieved through the involvement of government-linked companies (GLCs) in offering job opportunities to the extremely poor, as well as various other forms of assistance such as housing provision and special aid for people with disabilities.

CHARTING A WAY OUT

Kitingan, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Industry of Sabah, believes that infrastructure and economic development should be the primary focus.

He noted that investment in these areas does indeed require substantial funding, but it also has the potential to generate various industries, including tourism.

The problem of poverty in Sabah is an issue that cannot be taken lightly.

 He added, "Good infrastructure will attract foreign investors, which in turn will stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities, thereby helping to reduce poverty in Sabah."

 With the many challenges at hand, he emphasised that all parties, regardless of political affiliation, should work together as a team to tackle the issue of extreme poverty.

"We are one team, the Sabah team. Although many projects have been implemented, there is still much work to be done," he said.

Kitingan is also confident that with the right focus and sufficient allocation, Sabah can overcome the challenges of extreme poverty and achieve better progress.

In reality, the Land Below the Wind must liberate itself from the grip of extreme poverty to pave the way for true progress and prosperity.

Only by eliminating this ‘coloniser’ can Sabah reach its full potential and provide a better life for all its people.

Translated by Salbiah Said