In Kuala Lumpur, children go hungry as food inflation squeezes poor despite Malaysia ‘getting richer’

One in every two children in low-income households in Kuala Lumpur eat fewer than three meals a day, according to a United Nations report published on Wednesday, as high inflation forces the Malaysian capital city’s poorest to forgo food or rely on low-nutrition options like instant noodles.

Unicef said 95 per cent of the children from low-income households surveyed live in relative poverty, while 40 per cent were part of households whose earnings place them below the poverty line, measured at 2,816 ringgit (US$590) per month.

Muhammed Abdul Khalid, head of research firm DM Analytics which conducted the study for the UN children’s agency, said the figures were especially stark when put against the rebound in Malaysia’s economy, which grew at a steady 3.7 per cent pace in 2023.

“The country is getting richer, but our children are eating less,” Muhammed said on Wednesday when presenting the findings of the report.

The study urged the government to introduce a universal childcare allowance for 1,000 days to support parents from pre-birth to two years of age as well as for people with disabilities and their carers.

The social care spend could be funded by the savings made from a planned reduction in Malaysia’s generous subsidy regime, the report’s authors suggested.

The poll also found 52 per cent of children of all households surveyed ate fewer than three meals a day, a rise from 45 per cent before the pandemic struck.

“High food prices and financial constraints serve as significant barriers for parents striving to provide balanced and healthy nutrition to their children,” the report said.

The research, part of the Living on the Edge study jointly funded by Unicef and the UN Population Fund, surveyed 755 families living in 16