The overall economic story of Malaysia since Independence is one of significant progress and achievement in which millions of Malaysians are now much better off compared to the generations before them. The narrative of our development, seen from this long-term perspective, is mostly determined and almost singular - an ensemble performance of progress.But as we shorten the time horizon of our perspective, move closer towards the present and look deeper into the nuances of the diversity that exist - the coherence of this narrative begins to splinter into a multiplicity of smaller stories, reflecting the diverse economic realities of almost seven million Malaysian households and the challenges they face. In the third installment of the State of Households, we explore these smaller stories of the present and tie them back to the long arc of our economic development in the past and as we move into the future.
