FOUR in 10 low-income households in Kuala Lumpur face economic hardship in the next six months due to the Covid-19 crisis, the initial findings of an ongoing survey showed.

The same survey also found that one in three single mothers lost their jobs during the movement control order period, which commenced on March 18 and was a coronavirus containment measure..

The May to November “Families on the Edge” survey of 500 households in the PPR housing projects in the city is undertaken by United Nations agencies UNFPA and Unicef. Initial findings from end May till the start of June were released today.

The survey looked at the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on women and children in low-income urban families in city council housing projects.

“When asked about their financial situation in the next six months, 10% said they expected it to be better.

“Another 40% said it would be worse for them, followed by 20% saying it would be almost similar and the final 30% saying they were uncertain,” DM Analytics managing director Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid told The Malaysian Insight.

His team interviews the respondents on behalf of the UN agencies.

“Before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was 5% (among the city’s PPR households) but during the survey period, unemployment rose to 25%.

“But if you are a female head of a household, before the pandemic the unemployment rate was 9%, which has now soared to 32%, which means that if you are a single mother, one in three of you is unemployed during the pandemic,” he added.

One in six households (17%) reported that their savings could only last them a month, while 52% of heads of households were not protected by either EPF or Socso.

The survey also found:

• 25% heads of households in KL are unemployed, compared to the national rate of 5.3% (as of May).

• 31% heads of households had their working hours cut during the MCO.

• 30% households had difficulty accessing healthcare during the MCO, with the poorer households being the most affected.

Muhammed said the single mothers revealed they had to pawn their jewellery during the shutdown period to buy necessities, including food.

He said the women surveyed said their most important need was for sustainable employment and long-term aid from the government instead of short-term relief such as the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional.

The survey said 57% of female household heads have no access to employment social protection, compared to 52% of total heads of households.

The survey recommended that other than direct cash assistance to women, the government should provide measures for economic security for women.

These include incentives for women in the B40 group to have reliable internet access in order to venture into online businesses.

No access to education

Muhammed said the affected women had also adapted to the new normal made necessary by the virus and the MCO.

To support their families, the women surveyed said that they did odd jobs such as food delivery services.

Those with a small business moved online, he said.

“Those who don’t have the resources to start an online business have taken out some funds from their EPF or pawn their items in order to start,” he added.

The survey also discovered that pupils from these poor households did not have adequate access to education during this period.

“The vast majority of pupils surveyed did not participate in e-learning due to not having the devices,” Muhammed said.

He added that some pupils did not take part because of lack of interest.

He said that the survey found that 20% of these students do not have access to online learning.

“Nearly two in five have problems due to insufficient equipment, especially children from female-headed households,” he said.

Parents supervised more of their children’s education and if they couldn’t, they asked the elder children to do it instead, said the survey. – August 24, 2020.