Malaysia has made outstanding economic progress through the good policies and programmes of the government.

The recently launched report on the UN Millennium Development Goals bears testimony to this achievement. While noting the tremendous socio-economic progress made, we must also note the five key issues of major concern for those at the bottom end of our society.

First, while poverty has been reduced dramatically, what has increased is income differences between those on the top and at the bottom. This is indicated in the UN Human Development Report.

Poverty measurement using the current indicators will not detect the real issues on the ground; our focus must be on the bottom 30 percent of our society, comprising low-income families largely residing in urban public housing units, squatter settlements and longhouses.

We must recognise that the economic policies adopted by Malaysia, has also created displaced communities who experience marginalisation.

Second, that rapid urbanisation and modernisation has had an impact on social support and social control informal structures, weakening them and causing their breakdown. This therefore requires greater formal systems to meet this gap. Furthermore greater attention must be focused on building the family and local neighbourhood.