A United Nations human rights expert on Friday disputed Malaysia's assertion that it has nearly eliminated poverty, saying that official figures were vastly inaccurate and do not reflect realities on the ground.

Malaysia's official poverty rate dropped from 49% in 1970 to just 0.4% in 2016.

But Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the official numbers relied on outdated measures, with the poverty line remaining at the same level for decades despite increasingly high costs of living.

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https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/08/23/poorer-than-we-think-malaysias-official-poverty-figures-vastly-undercounted-says-un-expert