Calls to boost incentives to encourage higher birth rates

SHAH ALAM - Malaysia needs to boost reproductive education and provide incentives to newly married couples to encourage higher birth rates and improve the country’s fertility rate.

Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram) (Strong Family Institution) central committee member Dr Sabariah Baharun said the country needed a new generation to support various industries and drive economic development.

She warned that if the fertility rate kept falling, it could harm society, decrease productivity and disrupt economic growth.

"Reproductive education and awareness need to be carried out. It’s not enough to just offer incentives. We also need to educate the public on the importance of the issue.

"This matter needs to be highlighted so that people are prepared to have children when they grow up and build families that can serve as a future generation for the country," she told Sinar.

The National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), which initially focused on family planning, now runs programmes encouraging couples to have more children.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri noted that LPPKN’s research indicated a significant drop in Malaysia’s fertility rate, with the average couple having only 1.6 children.

Sabariah identified several factors contributing to the decline in fertility, including financial pressures, delayed marriages, work demands and inadequate support systems.

She warned that if these issues were not addressed, Malaysia will face a declining replacement rate, which could create problems for the country.

"A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) below 2.0 will pose challenges, so we need to work on increasing this rate.

"Otherwise, it will lead to a shrinking workforce and socio-economic issues," she said.