The Spatial Distribution of Poverty in Malaysia

Abstract

This paper examines and discusses the spatial distribution of poverty in
Malaysia. The point highlighted in this paper is that, even though Malaysia has achieved considerable success in reducing aggregate poverty, there are still several outstanding issues that should be given serious attention. Despite the rapid economic growth in the past three decades, the efforts to reduce spatial inequality did not really show an impressive improvement. The record shows that poverty remains as a crucial problem in the rural areas and in certain states/regions. Indeed, recent figures show that
rural and urban divide remains as it was in the 1970s, and poverty remains an issue in the Eastern and Northern regions, as well as in Sabah and Sarawak. Apparently, overcoming the spatial disparities remains one of the major challenges facing the nation.