Migration Directions and Policy in Malaysia

The discussion in this article will attempt to establish the general pattern of demographic structural change in Peninsular Malaysia and its constituent regions, and to examine the extent to which government policy (restructuring population and decreasing poverty) has influenced the pattern of regional inequalities in Peninsular Malaysia. Although rural-to-urban migration has contributed to decreasing poverty and income distribution, it has also had side effects for the urban and rural population. In the urban areas, these include urban poverty, housing problems and a high influx of foreign workers; in the rural areas, they include an increased dependency ratio, greater gender inequality, increased poverty and abandoned housing.