A crucial leg-up: The government says it plans to enhance the wellbeing of children in the country by ensuring equal access to quality education and holistic social protections. —1 23rf
THE kampung boy done good. The small town lass gone global. The estate kid struck rich. These success stories used to be common in our collective consciousness.
As economist Lee Hwok-Aun points out (See his commentary The 13th Malaysia Plan: Distinctive but difficult aspirations?), previous generations in Malaysia had risen above their parents’ stations by “acquiring education, migrating to cities, and securing stable jobs”. However, data shows that such upward pathways have narrowed over the years. Notably, the upward social mobility challenge appears to be a global phenomenon and Malaysia is not exempted.
