Latest news with #DepartmentOfStatisticsMalaysia
Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Retirees should enjoy their twilight years without worry — Wong Soo Kan
JUNE 23 — The Madani government classifies the Malaysian household based on income levels, representing the bottom 40 per cent, middle 40 per cent, and top 20 per cent of income earners, respectively. These classifications as B40, M40 or T20 are to enable the government to develop targeted policies and social assistance programs. Retirees from the private sector are the forgotten group of the Madani government. They make up approximately two million of the Malaysian population. The government must be commended for its Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative that provides financial assistance to eligible Malaysians, particularly those on the B40 and M40 income group. SARA is an expansion of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) program specifically designed to alleviate the impact of rising living costs. Currently there are a total of 5.4 million recipients of the SARA aid. The quantum of the aid would be reviewed periodically by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) to reflect changes in the economy and living costs. When the Madani government took control of Malaysia it was not at a conducive time. The aim of the government was to address the hardship of the citizens. Events that came along did not help the government much. First there was the implementation of minimum wage. This led to a round of price increase of basic necessities. This increased the costs of living for all, retirees included for reasons which are beyond their control. While the Madani government is actively working to mitigate the impact of rising costs through targeted aid, the government has little control on happenings of global events such as the Ukraine war and the imposition of tariffs by the United States both of which disrupted the supply chain increasing the cost of living. Also, the government through some of their actions have directly attributed an increase in the cost of living. The government has been gradually removing subsidies, which aim to save money but they led to higher cost of living when prices of basic necessities rose. Retirees from the private sector are the forgotten group of the Madani government. They make up approximately two million of the Malaysian population. — Unsplash pic Recently the government announced that eateries, hawker stalls in Malaysia are barred from using household subsidised gas cylinders. This change means hawkers will be paying RM70 for a 14kg cylinder, nearly three times the cost of the subsidized domestic cylinders. The aim of this ban is to prevent smuggling which the government was unable to curb. This would inevitably lead to increase in food prices for consumers as hawkers would pass on the higher cost of gas. I still remember vividly that in 2020 the price of a piece of roti canai was only 90 sen. Now the price has increased to RM1.50. Also, in 2020 a plate of mixed rice with three dishes was only RM8. Now it costs RM15 or more. Retirees from the private sectors take the full brunt of price increases. They do not have any extra income or receive any aid. The purchasing power of their remaining EPF money is shrinking and their savings are depleting day by day. The implementation of the expanded Sales and Services Tax (SST) and the impending increase of electricity charges, both on July 1, 2025 would add to their hardship. For pensioners, their pensions are periodically reviewed and adjusted by the government in tandem with the rise in the cost of living. Retirees are unable to enjoy such benefits. The Madani government must consider and implement a targeted cash assistance program like the STR to help retirees cope with the increasing cost of living. One of the aims of the Madani government is to improve or maintain the quality of life of Malaysians. The quality of life of retirees is now threatened by the ever-increasing living cost. Retirees should enjoy their twilight years without worry. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Malay Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
DoSM: Malaysia's labour force expands to 17.23 million in Q1 2025, unemployment remains stable at 3.1pc
PUTRAJAYA, May 23 — The national labour market remained robust in the first quarter of 2025 (Q1 2025) with a 7.23 million labour force and a stable 3.1 per cent unemployment rate, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the positive performance was supported by continued improvements in employment and a decline in unemployment. The labour force grew by 458,700 persons to 17.23 million persons compared to 16.77 million persons in Q1 2024, driven by a 3.0 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in employed persons to 16.70 million. 'The labour force participation rate rose to 70.7 per cent (Q1 2024: 70.5 per cent), while the number of unemployed persons declined to 526,300, with the unemployment rate remaining stable at 3.1 per cent,' he said in a statement today. In addressing the underemployment situation, he noted that sustained employment growth in Q1 2025 led to a notable decline in underemployment indicators. 'The number of persons working less than 30 hours per week decreased by 11.1 per cent y-o-y to 242,700 persons. 'Time-related underemployment also registered a decline of 9.2 per cent, totalling 146,900 persons, with the rate of 1.5 per cent,' he said. He also said Malaysia's labour market in Q1 2025 was adapting to the growing challenges of Industry 4.0. 'To meet the rising need for digital expertise, the government has committed to an initiative of RM20 million to train 5,000 Malaysians in key tech sectors and strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes with internationally recognised certifications,' he added. — Bernama
Malay Mail
15-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Malaysia's birth rate hits record low in Q1 2025, but Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang buck baby bust
KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Malaysia's birth rate has plunged to its lowest level on record, with just 93,500 babies born in the first quarter of 2025 – an 11.5 per cent drop compared to the same period last year. Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) released yesterday showed declining birth numbers, except in three states: Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang. The three east coast states in the peninsula have total fertility rates (TFRs) above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. 'Only Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang are recording a TFR above the replacement level,' Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a Facebook video presentation announcing Malaysia's population statistics. Terengganu has the highest fertility rate at 2.9, followed by Kelantan at 2.7, and Pahang at 2.1. Penang and Kuala Lumpur have the lowest TFRs at just 1.2 children per woman, while Sabah, once among the highest, has fallen to 1.4. 'Sabah recorded the fastest declining TFR, with 5.5 children in 1980 and 1.4 children in 2022,' Mohd Uzir said. The overall decline reflects a deeper fertility crisis affecting almost all states and ethnic groups. 'On average, one baby was born every minute, 43 babies per hour, and 1,039 babies daily during the first quarter of 2025,' Mohd Uzir said in his presentation. He added that TFR for all main ethnic groups has been declining, with only the Malay group reaching the replacement rate at 2.1. The ethnic Chinese community recorded the lowest fertility at just 0.8 children per woman. The national average household size has also shrunk to 3.7 persons, down from 5.5 in 1970. Perlis now has the smallest households at 3.1 people, while Kelantan has the largest at 4.8. Boys outnumber girls A total of 48,124 boys were born in the first quarter of the year compared to 45,376 girls born, putting the sex ratio at 106 males for every 100 females. Selangor recorded the highest number of births with 18,254 babies, while Labuan saw the lowest at just 278. Most mothers were between the ages of 30 and 39, accounting for 53.3 per cent of births. Mothers aged 20 to 29 contributed to 39.3 per cent, while those aged 40 and above made up 6 per cent. Only 1.4 per cent of births were to mothers below the age of 20, and three mothers were aged 55 or older. In terms of ethnicity, Malay births rose slightly to 68.8 per cent, or 64,326 babies. Other Bumiputera births increased to 12.6 per cent, while ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian births dropped to 8.6 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively. Malaysia's population is now estimated at 34.2 million, growing at a slower rate of 0.9 per cent compared to 2.0 per cent in the same quarter last year. A total of 48,130 deaths were recorded in the first quarter of the year, down from 49,117 compared to the same period in 2024. Selangor also had the most deaths at 7,710, while Putrajaya recorded the fewest at just 84.
