'The poor will always be there' is an accepted norm as a matter of fact. But this does not assuage the moral and social responsibility but emphasises the need for a concerted effort in addressing this common concern, which is a multi-faceted phenomenon.

Urban poverty is one such dimension that needs our urgent attention and intervention for it is deceptive and keeps a facade that proclaims, 'all is fine.'

Only when we delve deeper into this subject of urban poverty, many more revelations take place publishing the fact that there are yet new trends and challenges emerging in the ever-modernising Malaysia. Addressing this issue of poverty needs a serious and sincere effort from multiple stakeholders ranging from the state to the man on the street.

While poverty is conventionally measured by income levels, the dimension of urban poverty defies these indicators and shows its ugly head in relative poverty, income disparity, feminised poverty, crime, violence, in the areas of accessibility to state provisions and also the availability of state provisions. New indicators need to be devised and new measures need to be taken.

The Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) has a definite change in its understanding of poverty when compared to the previous Malaysia plans. While previous Malaysia plans were insistent on determining an amount to be the poverty line, the ninth plan has shifted its focus to look into per capita income of the household, which is far more effective.

There are also variations from state to state and within the state from rural to urban. This is quite clear and detailed. The quantum is also a more realistic figure. Hardcore poverty is also placed higher than the conventional 50% of the poverty line, as the previous Malaysia plans determined.

The weaknesses

However, the measurement is still based on a bag of goods and calculation has become quite tedious. The field worker has to be exceptionally good and meticulous in calculating and assessing the individual cases.

The has also not given due importance or has minimised the emphasis to income differences//disparity or relative poverty in its provision of poverty eradication programmes. But relative poverty is at the heart of the urban poor. Issues pertaining to housing, which is affordable and accessible housing, adequate employment, schools, transportation, health care and holistic recreation, are to mention a few.

Taman Putra Damai, Woes of people of the transit shelter Lembah Subang/Taman Putra Damai which was provided as the temporary shelter for squatter dwellers along Old Klang Road. This transit shelter was provided for them in order to develop their squatting land to a permanent low-cost housing with an acceptable common living standard. This transit shelter was meant to be for three years. But in the mean time the dwellers suffered a lot as there was no conducive social facilities and amenities compatible for schooling of their children, employment and alternate employment, health care provisions and conducive common multi-purpose halls and so on. It was such an unsettling experience for the community. On top of this leadership tensions and frictions complicated the matter further.

Jinjang Utara, the longest ever stay in a long house. People were given these hutments with a promise that within six months they would be provided a permanent shelter. Nearly 20 years have passed. The permanent shelter hasn't materialised yet. Some of the residents have not even unpacked their things having hope against hope.

Petaling Utama is a permanent low-cost apartment newly developed for the squatter dwellers of Kampung Muniandy, Kampung Baiduri, Petaling Utama Long House and other such places. Some of these flat units are occupied by genuine squatter dwellers, some of them have been brought over by those who could afford and have rented out to foreign workers. Some of the actual squatters didn't get a flat unit for they are either not bankable or they could not afford the price.

Many of those who secured the housing and currently living there also have different sets of problems. There is tension between the developer and them, as they are not paying their maintenance fees. All these issues revolve around the lack of social preparation of these urban poor people. Apart from these the nearest government medical clinic is in Kelana Jaya. So heath care services are also not easily accessible. Recreational facilities for the neighbourhood community is also lacking.

Types of neighbourhoods

We have to take into account the different kinds of neighbourhoods. There cannot be clear-cut separation in the types of neighbourhoods as just rural and poor. There has to be permutation and combination of the types of neighbourhoods such as affluent, developed, under developed and may be even undeveloped. These are also very important factors to be considered in the assessment of poverty.

The Malaysian reality is that we are past the minimum indicators such as starvation and dying out of starvation. Even the Orang Asli and Penan are able to sustain themselves in this aspect. While this is an achievement, instead of sitting on our laurels and amidst the accolade of others, we need to press on to higher grounds such as MDG++ indicators.

Poverty itself is a complex and compounded issue. But the nature of urban poverty is far more complicated and complex with a multiplicity of factors. If it is unattended it is like a hidden time bomb waiting to explode at unexpected times. The rural poor suffer from lack of opportunities. But they have greater peace and harmony. There is community cohesion and understanding that seem to be a missing element among those living in urban poor conditions. Cities as magnets of hope and bright life attract them. But in the end many are trapped in hopelessness with an impoverished captive mindset.

In urban centres, poverty cannot be measured by statistical averages. They dwell in pockets of poverty. Their issues are uniquely different and cannot be adequately measured by conventional or even current measurement practices. New measurement indicators need to emerge taking into account of the tormentors of the new poor such as the feminised aspects of poverty, the abandoned elderly, the ever increasingly breaking down family institution, the rampant aspects of crime and violence, the distortion of cultural and spiritual values.

The rural communities are more homogeneous than urban poor communities. We see pluralism in ethnicity, cultural and religious practices and the giant shock absorber, which is the family institution giving way under tremendous pressures such as the lack of informal social control and support system, absence of skills needed in urban work places, irregular shift duties, lack of adequate housing and issues of access.

The so-called attraction has brought them to a situation, which they have no control of or at the same without the possession of skills needs to cope with the situation. This brings about unhappiness, suspicion, hidden anger that erupts and disrupts the seemingly happy and satisfied urban communities.

Proper preparation

State intervention in the housing issue also backfires as they are not inculcated with the skills to live in multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious communities. The sensitivities flare and they live in anger and unhappiness for it is not their volitional choice but a forced one. But the rural and urban affluent neighbourhoods are filled with people who had the choice to choose their neighbourhood that ushers in a sense of psycho-social security and belonging. These are crucial for any community's cohesion and unity.

The town planning and housing provision must take into account the difficulties of the aged, disabled, the needs of the young and youthful, the employment opportunities, the adequate transport system and health care services needed, critical agencies with multi-ethnic staffing and so on.

The state has given importance to eradication of absolute poverty, which is good in itself. The difficulty is that the government machinery is not equipped to address this issue for example the civil servant's work pattern and also his or her training and aptitude towards this aspect of work that needs a specialisation. If there is no proper preparation of the field worker there will be undue delay and the poor will lose all hope and that will affect the credibility of the civil service and government.

Another area that needs to be focused in eradicating hardcore poverty is not to waver from the focus and to have a well-coordinated approach. This is where inter-ministry and inter-agency cooperation is imperative. To illustrate this point all government programmes such as Pusat Rujukan Sosial and Kolej Komuniti to eradicate poverty need to be appropriately located in close proximity to the pockets of poverty.

Relative poverty and other social threats that can make one poor overnight, the exercise will turn out to be a fire-fighting exercise where we constantly reinvent the wheel and a lot of resources will be wasted. Even when it is crucially important to have the urgency in addressing the issues of the absolute poor, it is of paramount importance to address the issues and concerns of the relative poor simultaneously.

Now that we have identified the issues of the urban poor, who has to be the driving force? The Ministry of Housing and Local Government has been chosen at the federal level but the effective compliance of the local authorities need to be ensured. As urban poverty eradication needs a special set of skills in value formation, prioritisation and systematic transformation, there needs to be active involvement of actors such as civil society organisations, private sector and the public sector with all its multiple agencies.

There are hard realities and left unattended they will fester and pose a serious threat that can endanger the very social fabric of society.

Jasmine Adaickalam is YSS service director. The above was a paper she presented at the conference last month.