A study from Universiti Malaya reveals that Malaysian minimum-wage workers must work drastically longer hours compared to workers in other countries to afford basic food items. It highlights a significant disparity in food affordability, exacerbated by low wages and inflation. Policy recommendations include enhancing social protection, school feeding programs, and wage adjustments to improve access to nutrition for low-income households.
A recent study conducted by the Social Wellbeing Research Centre at Universiti Malaya has revealed that low-income workers in Malaysia face significant challenges in affording basic food items. The study highlights that minimum-wage workers in the country are required to work substantially longer hours compared to their counterparts in other nations to purchase essential foodstuffs, a situation worsened by persistently low wages that lag behind international standards.
For instance, where a minimum-wage worker in the Netherlands only needs to labor four minutes for a litre of milk, a Malaysian worker must toil for a staggering 58 minutes. This trend continues with basic staples; it takes Malaysian workers 130 minutes to earn sufficient money for 1kg of chicken, whereas Australian workers only need 28 minutes. Furthermore, to buy 1kg of beef, Malaysians must work 271 minutes, in contrast to just 45 minutes for workers in New Zealand.
The disparity extends to fruits and vegetables as well. Malaysians must invest 92, 47, and 34 minutes respectively to purchase 1kg of apples, bananas, and lettuce, compared to merely six, five, and three minutes for workers in the Netherlands and Germany. The study emphasizes the inadequacy of the minimum wage in Malaysia, significantly lower than that of peer countries, leaving a considerable portion of the workforce earning below two-thirds of the median wage.
Urban residents, unlike their rural counterparts who can engage in subsistence farming due to direct land access, rely entirely on market purchases for their food. This urban shift emphasizes that food security is now more about affordability than availability. As a consequence, many households are compelled to buy inexpensive yet nutritionally poor food like instant noodles and fried foods.
In addressing food affordability, the study indicates that high food inflation erodes purchasing power, noting a 6.8% increase in food prices in 2022, particularly affecting staples like rice, chicken, and vegetables. The study recommends several policy interventions aimed at improving food security and affordability.
These recommendations include establishing a social protection floor, enhancing school feeding programs, and introducing automatic minimum wage adjustments tied to low-wage indicators. The study also advocates for bolstered child benefits and income support for vulnerable populations to mitigate food insecurity amidst economic difficulties. Moreover, the government should ensure at least one nutritious meal per day for schoolchildren to lessen the financial burden on low-income families.
In conclusion, the findings presented by the Social Wellbeing Research Centre at Universiti Malaya elucidate the pressing challenges faced by low-income Malaysian workers in accessing basic food items. The recommendations laid out in the study provide a roadmap for addressing these issues through policy interventions and wage adjustments, ultimately aiming to enhance food security and affordability for low-income households. Without significant reform, the trend of rising food prices coupled with stagnant wages will only exacerbate food insecurity among urban dwellers in Malaysia.
Original Source: www.malaysianow.com
