DOSM introduces a Minimum Expenditure for a Decent Standard of Living calculator for persons with disabilities, patients and senior citizens.
PUTRAJAYA: The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today introduced a Minimum Expenditure for a Decent Standard of Living (PAKW) calculator for groups with special needs, comprising persons with disabilities, patients and senior citizens, to provide a more accurate and inclusive estimate of the cost of living.
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the PAKW calculation for these groups takes into account the distinct needs of each category to ensure the estimates accurately reflect the cost of maintaining a decent standard of living.
“We cannot equate the needs of persons with disabilities or patients with those of others. That is why we take into account different categories and needs to ensure that the estimates truly reflect a decent standard of living for them,” he told reporters at the Special Data and Media Symphony Discourse here.
He said the calculator was developed in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the Social Welfare Department to ensure the data accurately reflects the actual needs of these groups.
Mohd Uzir said the initiative is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the principle of leaving no one behind, to ensure that every segment of society is taken into account in the compilation of the country’s official statistics.
He said the updated PAKW for groups with special needs is expected to be uploaded to the MyPAKW Calculator in August via mypakw.dosm.gov.my and the MyPAKW mobile application.
