UNDP Human Development Report: How Equitable is Malaysia?

The UN Resident Co-ordinator for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Kamal Malhotra spoke with Carla Sapsford Newman on the results of their recently released Human Development Report 2011. The focus of the report this year was on equality and equity, and Mr. Malhotra stressed the need for Malaysia to look more broadly at development beyond a basic income threshhold. He said Malaysia has not made significant progress in improving income inequality, and in their capacity index Malaysia has dropped in rankings. He also said that the UN has recommended the government enact ethnicity-blind affirmative action policies to address the growing disparity in wealth between the urban and the rural poor, and in poverty between ethnic groups.