Prior to the pandemic, EPF noted that 19% of Malaysian children were living in relative poverty.
In other words, 1.7 million children were living in a family whose parents or guardians made less than about RM2,900 — 50% of the median household income of the country, which is RM5,860.
40% of children below the age of five experienced stunted growth due to poor nutrition, while 14,000 teens dropped out of secondary school.
Based on EPF’s 2019 data, 86% of Malaysians’ income was less than…