THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POOR AND DESTITUTE ASNAF IN KUALA LUMPUR

Abstract

From an adapted method originally developed as the Multidimensional Poverty Index by Alkire and Foster, this paper examined the multidimensional poverty characteristics of the poor and destitute asnaf in Kuala Lumpur with a sample of 380 poor and destitute asnaf households. The survey was conducted from March 2022 until January 2023, still very much affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the study reveal significant dimensions of deprivation experienced by the poor and destitute asnaf in Kuala Lumpur, which were not sufficiently captured by previous assessments. In addition to the headcount and intensity of the poverty experienced, the study captures the dimensions and indicators that contribute to the poverty scenario of the poor and destitute asnaf in Kuala Lumpur. Consequently, zakat institutions are recommended to integrate non-monetary poverty indicators into their assessments to obtain a rigorous framework to address poverty-related issues and the factors that affect the well-being of the poor and destitute asnaf households in Malaysia. The results bring wide ramifications for casting the poverty net more exhaustively than before but also for identifying the indicators that the poor and destitute are most vulnerable to. In light of the findings, it is critical that future programmes that are designed address the non-pecuniary dimensions of poverty so that zakat resources are allocated effectively.