Total fertility rate in Malaysia has declined significantly, says Nancy

The Star

The total fertility rate (TFR) of Malaysians has seen a notable decline, says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00So, Honourable Speaker, Honourable Tumpat and Honourable Thampin have touched on the issue of child-free,

00:05because they are concerned that it may have a negative impact on the country for a long time.

00:11At present, the issue of the decline in fertility rate has become a global issue,

00:16especially among developed and developing countries.

00:19So, in this regard, there are many countries in Asia and the Pacific,

00:28such as Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of Korea, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand,

00:34have noted a very low fertility rate, which is below the replacement rate.

00:40Even Indonesia, which has a population density of 275 million,

00:45also now only notes a fertility rate close to the replacement rate.

00:50In this regard, Honourable Speaker, the decline in the number of births in Malaysia

00:54has indeed recorded a decline since 2012.

00:59The number of births is also closely related to the fertility rate, or total fertility rate,

01:06or TFR, which shows an increasing decline.

01:10Based on the report published in the important fertility report of 2023 by the Malaysian Fertility Agency, DOSM,

01:19TFR in Malaysia shows a decline from 2.1 children in 2010 to 1.6 children in 2022.

01:30There are various factors contributing to the decline of TFR.

01:35These include economic factors, lifestyle, which can affect the decision of age,

01:44and for marriage, the number of children, and so on.

01:47At the same time, the problem of infertility can also affect the TFR rate.

01:53To respond to this infertility problem, KPWKN through the LPPKN agency,

01:59our national family development and residence agency,

02:02has implemented various initiatives,

02:04including first, offering fertility care services or sub-fertility since 1979 at reasonable costs.

02:13Second, men's welfare clinics that offer men's health screening tests,

02:20advice on sexual problems and lifestyle practices,

02:24as well as medical treatment to help increase men's fertility

02:29to address infertility problems in increasing male population.

02:34Third, is to provide initiatives to couples in obtaining fertility treatment

02:40with tax exemption for fertility treatment up to RM8,000 and many more.

02:46And now, KPWKN through the LPPKN has been given the mandate to establish a national sub-fertility center

02:54which is equipped with all facilities of fertility treatment under one roof

02:59to provide modern fertility services at reasonable costs.

03:04This national sub-fertility center will be built in Selangor,

03:09and will be the center of fertility services in Malaysia.

03:13For KPWKN, we view the decision to have children and the determination of the number of children

03:19is the right of the couple.

03:21As I mentioned earlier, there are various factors that affect the decision to have children,

03:27the number of children and the TFR rate.

03:29KPWKN through the LPPKN helps in making interventions

03:33to help those who face infertility problems.

03:38In addition, LPPKN also provides services that can provide an environment

03:43that helps couples to make decisions,

03:45such as family planning services and family development programs

03:50through the Smart Start module,

03:52a marriage program that can provide skills and knowledge

03:56to couples who want to start a family.

04:08For more information, visit www.kpwkn.org

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