J. Appl. Environ. Biol. Sci., 6(6S)51-57, 2016
© 2016, TextRoad Publication
ISSN: 2090-4274
Journal of Applied Environmental
and Biological Sciences
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Corresponding Author: Iskandar Hasan Tan Abdullah, Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies,
UniversitiTeknologi MARA, Machang, Kelantan, Malaysia, E-mail: iskandartan@yahoo.com
Quality of Life and Income Level of Kelantan State Poverty in Malaysia
Iskandar Hasan Tan Abdullah
1
, Nur Azuki Yusoff
2
, Rosdi Abd Rahman
2
1
Faculty of Administrative Science and Public Policy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Machang, Kelantan, Malaysia
2
Research Institute and Poverty Development, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, Malaysia
Received: March 4, 2016
Accepted: May11, 2016
ABSTRACT
Recent studies of poverty have showed the advantage of breaking down a population into subgroups or district along
ethnic, religion or other lines. This studies was looking on the causes of failure poverty elimination programmes.
Thus, by decreasing in the poverty level in a subgroup of the district in Kelantan, ceteris paribus should lead to
reduce the poverty population. This is supported by the findings of the study where the quantitative estimate the
effect a change in decreasing the subgroup of district poverty to non poverty. This study aimed to examine the
relationship between the elements in Poverty Line Income (PLI),which measurement of low income was resulted in
hardship and inability to make ends meet. The World Bank was also defined the poverty as the marginalization of
the fullness of life. A set of 385 questionnaires were distributed to the 2 selected districts namely Bachok and Jeli
district. The districts were selected, as it represents the hardcore of PLI. This study applies descriptive and
inferential analysis was used to identify the relationship of causes of poverty among Malays especially Kelantanese
Malays. The findings showed that all the elements in the PLI model (Quality of life, Religious Practices and Income
level) have a relationship with poverty intention among Kelantanese Malays. Thus, the findings also confirm all
hypotheses. Income level was the most contributed factor that leads to intention of poverty among Kelantanese
Malays. Therefore, it is needed for Malaysia to achieve the poverty rate of as planned in the 11th Malaysia Plan and
the goals of the New Economic Model that people have high income and sustained.
KEYWORDS: Poverty Line Income Model, Quality of Life, Religious Pratices and Income Level.
INTRODUCTION
Poverty can lead to increased social problems in society. The gap in poverty between the urban and rural was
increasing with 1:138. Though the engagement of humanitarian efforts to help the poor through categorizing people
as “in poverty” or “not in poverty” is one way to describe the gap of social inequality. It also can be approached by
highlighting certain features that may be eligible for them to be categorized in poverty thresholds such as
government-sponsored assistance programs, low-income home assistance programs and others. The eradication of
poverty could be done through the religious and the communities that can be key to the success. Furthermore, Islam
teaches its followers to pursue a successful life and the Hereafter. Thus, the religious community should play a role
in eradicating the poverty. This paper would like to see a focused way the correlation between the level of religious
practice and poor communities by raising income levels. This paper has tried to answer for the existence of the best
features to increase the level of entrepreneurship and to develop the standard of their living.
The concept of poverty in Malaysia is often associated with poverty of Malays. The first Malay scholar known
as Zainal Abidin Ahmad was discussing seriously regarding Malays poverty in the year of 1923 [11]. He believes
that the Malays are very poor at the time of British colonial rule. They have suffered the material and immaterial
poverty such moral and spiritual. Among the reasons that led to the problem of poverty was caused by the lack of
knowledge, education or business skills and crafts that can be used as a means of their livelihood [9]. The effort to
eradicated the poverty was continued by Ungku Aziz and Syed Husin Ali in the 1960s and 1970s [10]. The study
was conducted by [8], which regarding to the Malays poverty in rural. This study showed that the poverty caused by
low productivity, oppression by middlemen and landlords as well as the living conditions. The majority Malays was
neglected by the British [9]. Hence, the studies also show that the poverty arises from inequality of income
distribution. This inequality involved the lack of opportunities to get the education. Furthermore, the Malays also
have the lack of skills. Hence, they always got lower paid. Poverty is derived from the words of penniless, which
lacking the necessities of life or the destitute. The poverty measurement among the individuals is a subjective and
depend on the value judgments. Here, poverty studies are one academic field which has retained its popularity
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