An economist said that Malaysia’s population must have an annual increase of 1% to reach the target of 70 million people by 2100, as expected by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
However, Sunway Yeah University’s Kim Leng said the chance of qualifying – set by Prime Minister Mahathir in the Fifth Malaysia Plan – is low, despite the population increasing by 2.1%, against last year’s trend. Free Malaysia Today
Yes, Kim Leng.
Last week, Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Nancy Shukri said that Malaysia’s total fertility rate has increased from 2.1 children in 2010 to 1.6 in 2022, the New Straits Times reported. The replacement rate of TFR – the birth rate that will cause the population to replace its exact number from one generation to the next – is around 2.1.
“It is a fact of development that when a country improves and achieves an increase in income and living standards, the birth rate falls and the number of families decreases.
Rapid urbanization and the high cost of living associated with urban living, including expensive education, healthcare and housing, also prevent young couples from having more children,” said Ee and FMT. However, he said the country should not worry about the decline in employment due to the decline in birth rates. Instead, he said that the country should focus on improving the quality, skills and capabilities of the workforce. “Many low and medium-income countries have achieved the status of developed countries with high standards and quality of life.
Therefore, we must shift our focus from family size to access to good and quality nutrition, health care, education and living conditions for all children,” he said. Last Tuesday, Nancy told the Dewan Rakyat that couples should retain the right to decide how many children they want to have.
He was responding to concerns raised by Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar about the practice of celibacy during a parliamentary debate and a report by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission. Nancy said that economic factors, reproductive issues and lifestyle choices, which affect decisions about the age of marriage and the number of children, have led to a decline in TFR.
Meanwhile, Dr Choong Sim Poey of the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia said that the massive availability since the 1950s of modern contraceptives has helped to reduce the number of births worldwide. Choong Sim Poey
Choong Sim Poey.
He said that women and families can decide what type of family they like, unlike in the past. “This shift in thinking about the ideal family size is very difficult to reverse.
Measures such as improving childcare and reducing the cost of childcare and education can help boost fertility, he said. According to Choong, the fertility rate cannot be improved by financial incentives alone.
He believes that a comprehensive long-term review of health and education services is necessary to support this goal. (This review should not only improve the number but the quality of our next generation), he said.
