KUALA LUMPUR: A universal childcare allowance for children in their first 1,000 days should be provided for children in Malaysia, to address the prevalence of poverty in the country.

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), in its Living on the Edge report, recommended allocating RM200 per month for all pregnant mothers, as well as children under the age of 2. It would require an annual allocation of about RM2.2 billion, which was equivalent to 0.12 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

It said a child's first 1,000 days, or from pre-birth to 2 years, were the period of "greatest vulnerability" for the development of a child.

"A universal childcare allowance during this period would be the first step in a progressive expansion of social protection floors for children in Malaysia.

"These monthly allowances should be channelled directly to the (expecting) mothers."

This was one of six of Unicef's recommendations in the report, which studied the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women and children in low-income families in Kuala Lumpur. 

The Living on the Edge study is a continuation of the Families on the Edge project by Unicef.

The most recent edition was conducted in October and November last year with data collected from 755 low-income households across 16 people's housing projects in the city.

Unicef also recommended that a universal allowance be given to all persons with disabilities and their caregivers to provide adequate income security, and complement healthcare and employment support systems.

"It is estimated that the fiscal cost of providing universal cash allowances for all registered persons with disabilities in the country is about RM3.2 billion per year or 0.17 per cent of the GDP.

"There should also be a special caregivers' allowance for the primary caregivers (who are mostly women) of the disabled family members."

It noted that primary caregivers of disabled family members often had to give up or reduce their personal income-generating activities.

"Without full-time employment, they also miss out on relevant employment benefits such as healthcare and pensions or provident funds.

"While assistance for the disabled is available, concurrent assistance for their primary caregivers is not," the report said.

It also recommended that social assistance be broadened to include all poor households, instead of just the hardcore poor, as many families faced challenges beyond food insufficiency.

Unicef said currently, Welfare Department assistance was only given to hardcore poor households earning less than RM1,198 per month, and that it should be extended to those below the poverty line earning less than RM2,589 monthly.

Extending this assistance would require the government to spend an additional RM5 billion, and the annual fiscal cost to the government for this purpose is equivalent to 2.6 per cent of the total 2024 government operating expenditure.

Unicef recommended that the government provide fair wages by increasing the minimum wage, and also improve social protection by making it mandatory for all self-employed individuals to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund and the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso).

The current minimum wage, Unicef said, was "too low" and "insufficient" for workers and that the it should be set at RM2,102 per month instead of RM1,500 per month.

Lastly, Unicef recommended that sexual and reproductive health and mental wellbeing awareness programmes be improved.

"It has positive outcomes by equipping men, women and families with essential knowledge, facilitating early planning and informed decision-making, and ensuring access to preventive care.

"Additionally, there is a pressing need to bolster community-based interventions, including support groups, to effectively tackle mental health challenges and cultivate overall mental wellbeing in communities."

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/1047853/unicef-universal-childcare-benefit-may-help-address-poverty-malaysia