KOTA BHARU, May 15 — The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) is surveying household income and expenditure nationwide which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
He said the completed survey was expected to be the country’s new benchmark for poverty and income levels for the B40, M40 and the T20 groups.
He said the exercise was carried out every two to three years, adding that the current data was based on the survey that was conducted in 2019.
“Income fluctuates, especially during the COVID-19 period, it is not fair for all surveys to be made during the period,” he told reporters after attending a socioeconomic briefing for the Kelantan media personnel here last night.
He said as the country is in the transition to endemicity, the people have started working again and income is increasing.
“We want the income to truly reflect the current situation,” he added.
Mustapa said this latest survey was aimed at revising the hardcore poverty rate in the country.
“In the middle of last year, Malaysia’s hardcore poor were 262,000 families, in Feb this year the number was 210,000 while on April 15 the number declined to 195,664,” he said.
