Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) and the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) have proposed a new law to reduce income inequality in Malaysia or warned of more social problems in the future.

In a joint statement, the two groups said there is a growing income divide in Malaysia where currently, 40 percent of households have a monthly income of RM1,526 while 20 percent of households are averaging RM10,208 per month.

“This means that the income share for the 40 percent poor families is 14.5 percent of the national income, whereas the 20 percent of the rich families control 51 percent of the national income.

“This is a recipe for disaster,” said the two groups, warning that should this not be addressed, Malaysia will see a rise in social issues such as drug usage, child abuse, baby dumping, criminal activities and mental illnesses.

In view of this, the two groups have drafted a Social Inclusion Bill, which proposes a Social Inclusion Commission be designed to address the issue.

The commission will be tasked with monitoring all matters related to poverty reduction and affirmative action, with reference to the special position of the Malays under Article 153 of the federal constitution.

“We need to identify the main causes of poverty, not to address its symptoms. Monetary handouts and public plans of action proposed without considering the uniqueness of each case can only be temporary in nature, for they cannot improve living standards of the rakyat in the long run.

“We must unite and work to addressing the real issues of poverty and marginalisation in a non-partisan and genuine way. To do this, we need policies that give attention to long-term solutions to create a more fair and inclusive society,” the NGOs added.

SABM and Hakam have called for feedback from both sides of the political divide to research and to consider the measures proposed in the Social Inclusion Bill.

The groups will be holding a dialogue session but a date and venue have yet to be confirmed.