A/HRC/44/40/Add.3 median income. The MTR 11MP states the threshold of low-income from B40 households which is equivalent to half of median income below RM2,614 involving around 1.08 million households (15.5%). The 15.5% for low income households close to various independent analyst figures claimed by the SR which include OECD, KRI and Martin Ravallion. During the Plan, emphasis and prioritize have been given to poor and low income households in increasing their socioeconomic status. Paragraph 21 In the past, Malaysia has responded to critiques by introducing additional ways of measuring poverty, but these have avoided meaningfully adjusting the national poverty line. The 9th Malaysia Plan 2001-2005 turned to using the bottom 40 percent of the population (B40) as a way to target resources. The 11th Malaysia Plan 2016-2020 introduced a multidimensional poverty index. And the mid-term review of the 11th Malaysia Plan introduced a relative poverty measure for ���low income households” earning between the national poverty line and 50 percent of the national median household income (RM 980-2,614, or US$241-643), encompassing 15.5 percent of households. Comments from the Government of Malaysia: • To delete: “but these have avoided meaningfully adjusting the national poverty line” Paragraph 22 But even Malaysia’s new multi-dimensional poverty index, described by officials at the Ministry of Economic Affairs as the future of poverty measurement in the country, yields figures that are so low as to beggar belief. Even though 30.51 percent of people experienced multiple forms of deprivation within a particular period in 2016, the multidimensional poverty index yields an astonishingly low rate of 0.86 percent, thus largely replicating the discredited national poverty measure while at the same time allowing Malaysia to announce and immediately cross a new finish line. Comments from the Government of Malaysia: • The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) used to measure multidimensional poverty is derived from methodology by Prof. Sabina of Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) which is a global poverty measurement in more than 100 countries. • The dimensions covered in this measurement are education, health, standard of living and income. III. Data Collection and Transparency Paragraph 23 Malaysia stands out among its peers for its lack of transparency around publicly held data and other information. Unlike the great majority of similarly situated countries, Malaysia does not provide full access to key household survey microdata, stifling both governmental and independent research and analysis on poverty and inequality. When asked for data, State government officials often indicated they would need to make a request to “Putrajaya”. Researchers can apply to the Department of Statistics for select sets of data, but several told the Special Rapporteur their requests were often not granted. International organizations and even state officials said they too had to make specific requests for information, and that their access was essentially at the mercy of the Department of Statistics. Comments from the Government of Malaysia: • As Malaysia has continuously collaborated with international organisations and other statistical offices in our work against international statistical standards, Malaysia acknowledges the growing demand of data amongst policymakers and researchers, in particular, granular data with high ease of access. 10