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Free Malaysia Today
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
A better way to prepare for ageing society
It looks like Malaysian men are no longer rising to the occasion, but the government thinks a little incentive can help. Women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri says the drive to raise fertility rate among Malaysians will now focus on men. According to Nancy, men should realise that women are not entirely to blame for the drop in the number of new babies, so a 'celebrity' doctor would be brought in to help raise awareness. She also wants to offer in-vitro fertilisation and fertility services through the National Population and Family Development Board to both men and women. Nancy's concerns are valid. If the decline in birthrate and extension in life expectancy continue at the current rate, Malaysia will become an ageing society by 2030. That puts the burden of supporting a higher number of elderly family members on a lower number of children. Healthcare costs for elderly people amounted to RM3.8 billion, or 0.34% of the GDP in 2014, or 8% of the total health expenditure. This is projected to rise to RM21 billion, or 1.08% of GDP, by 2040. If the trend continues, it will lead to burnout or financial stress on the younger people. There are ways to overcome this. The government could provide greater incentives for people to have more children, encourage older people to stay longer in the workforce, or both. It is unclear what Nancy's 'celebrity' doctor will do, but inducing desire would be a start. This means getting young people to not only tie the knot and start a family at an earlier age, but to have more children, too. Ideally, the birthrate should rise to 2.1, which is the replacement level, from 1.7 currently. But this is unachievable when people are marrying and starting families at an increasingly older age. The average age at which a woman has her first child has risen from 25.6 years in 1980 to 27.9 years in 2022 and expected to hit 30 by 2030. Many women have even opted not to have children in pursuit of other priorities, such as career advancement. Rapid urbanisation also seems to be a factor, going by the fact that Penang and Kuala Lumpur, the country's biggest urban centres, also have the lowest fertility rate at 1.2, compared with largely rural Terengganu, where the rate is 2.9, well above the replacement level. Raising a child is getting more challenging. The extended family environment is a thing of the past, so depending on grandparents, uncles and aunts to watch over the children is no longer an option. To keep the replacement rate up, a change in mindset is essential. There must be a new support system to help young families meet the challenges of juggling between professional pursuits and the domestic responsibility of childcare. Offering childcare facilities at the workplace is a good start, but few companies in Malaysia are prepared to invest in this despite the fact that it helps to retain employees. Extending maternity leave is also a step forward. Norway is way ahead of the rest of the world here. In this Nordic country, new mothers get 54 weeks off at 96% pay. Perhaps our Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) can offer a similar benefit. At the other end of the spectrum, raising the retirement age can help people stay financially independent for longer, and for those who are already out of the workforce, an improved retirement plan can ease the burden on their children. As former Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said at the Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) International Social Wellbeing conference this week, keeping people in the workforce until they reach the age of 75 would align with the longer life expectancy. At the same conference, the retirement fund's CEO Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn acknowledged that the retirement system must evolve to match the reality that life expectancy has increased. At best, offering free in-vitro fertilisation and fertility services to men and women is only part of the solution.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt now shifting fertility drive's focus to men, says minister
Women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri said the government is offering in vitro fertilisation and fertility services for both men and women. GEORGE TOWN : The government's new drive to increase fertility rates is now focussed on men, says women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri. Speaking after her ministry's event in Seberang Jaya today, she said the government has begun running roadshows focussed on male fertility, starting in Sabah. 'We need men to realise it is not because of women alone that the fertility rate is low,' she said, adding the government would bring in a 'celebrity' doctor to help in its efforts to raise awareness. Nancy said the government, through the National Population and Family Development Board, was also offering in vitro fertilisation and fertility services to both men and women. She said an ageing population by 2030 was a real concern and urged both genders to reflect on their roles in raising the birth rate. According to the 2024 ESCAP Population Data Insights, the country's total fertility rate (TFR) rose slightly from 1.6 to 1.7 last year but remains below the replacement level of 2.1. A TFR of 1.7 means that, on average, each woman is having fewer than two children. For a population to replace itself without relying on immigration, the TFR needs to be 2.1. According to the statistics department's latest numbers, Sabah's birth rate is the lowest in the country, dropping from 5.5 children per woman in 1980 to just 1.4 in 2022, well below the replacement level of 2.1. While Terengganu registered the highest TFR at 2.9, Penang and Kuala Lumpur recorded the lowest at 1.2. Meanwhile, Nancy said caregiving was another key factor in deciding whether a couple would want to have a baby. She said the government was now trying to develop a recognised professional caregiving industry and urged the public to treat carers as professionals, not servants. She said better pay and training could encourage more youths to join the field. 'I personally experienced it with my mother. It is very difficult to get people to be caregivers,' she said.
