The Capabilities of the Rural Poor in Sabah and Kelantan, Malaysia: Evaluating a Poverty Eradication Program and Its Impact on Well-Being

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-827-1_29How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Poverty Alleviation; Income Enhancement Program; Rural Poverty; Malaysia; Capability Approach; Well-Being

Abstract

Global poverty reduction efforts have long relied on income-based interventions such as cash transfers and microfinance. While these approaches have yielded positive short-term outcomes, they often fail to address deeper structural barriers that hinder long-term well-being. In Malaysia, the income enhancement program was introduced to assist the rural poor by providing material resources. However, its effectiveness remains questionable, as many participants struggle with unstable occupations, environmental uncertainties such as climate-related risk, and limited opportunities for sustained economic growth. This study examines the income enhancement program in Sabah and Kelantan through the lens of the capability approach. It emphasizes expanding individuals’ choices and freedoms by focusing on conversion factors rather than measuring poverty through income increments. Using semi-structured in-depth interviews, a total of 19 program recipients were selected through purposive sampling in Sabah and Kelantan. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, identifying three key themes: empowerment through resources, capability expansion, and economic sustainability. The findings highlight that while resource provisions help ease immediate financial constraints, the program’s standardized implementation overlooks key factors such as occupational demands, skill gaps, and long-term economic sustainability. A more context-sensitive approach is needed—one that tailors support to the specific needs of different communities with different occupations. By integrating capability-based strategies, poverty alleviation programs can move beyond short-term relief and foster genuine, sustainable improvements in the well-being of the rural poor.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Nor Ardyanti Ahmad
AU  - Tunku Nashril Tunku Abaidah
AU  - Siti Norfazlina Yusoff
AU  - Mahazir Ismail
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/22
TI  - The Capabilities of the Rural Poor in Sabah and Kelantan, Malaysia: Evaluating a Poverty Eradication Program and Its Impact on Well-Being
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Business, Finance, Management and Economic (BizFAME 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 431
EP  - 444
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-827-1_29
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-827-1_29
ID  - Ahmad2025
ER  -