According to the 2002 Human Development Report

released in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Malaysia is ranked at number 59 on human development, two positions higher than last year.

The measurement, the Human Development Index (HDI), ranks 173 countries on a composite of life expectancy, education and standard of living.

Released every year by the United Nations Development Program in conjunction with the annual Human Development Report, the index is meant to provide an alternative to the traditional measure of development drawn from income alone.

In terms of ranking, Malaysia sits ahead of the Russian Federation (60), Thailand (70), and the Phillippines (77), but is ranked below Belize (58), Argentina (34), Brunei (32) and Singapore (25).

Under the index, Malaysia is classified as "medium human development".

The HDI showed that Malaysia has risen 12 positions since 1990, reflecting the "striking progress" of East Asian countries in the last decade, said the report.

China leads the pack

Leading the pack is China, having risen 14 places. Singapore and Thailand jumped eight and 10 rungs respectively.

However, the report acknowledged that while the figures serve as a useful starting point, the HDI "omits vital aspects" of human development, notably the freedom to participate and make social and political choices.

"A person can be rich, healthy and well-educated but without this freedom, human development is held back," the report said.

Other supplementary indices have since been created by the UNDP and they include the gender empowerment measure (GEM), which looks at the participation of women in political decision-making. On the GEM, Malaysia ranks 43rd.

Every year since 1990, the UNDP has commissioned the Human Development Report by an independent team of experts leaders in academia, government, civil society to explore major issues of global concern. Past issues have touched on consumption, sustainable development, human rights and technology.