PETALING JAYA: Experts suggest that certain incentives and policies may play a role in helping young couples to start families, whether it be due to financial reasons or personal choice.
Chai Sen Tyng, a senior research officer at the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing), believes that the decision to have children is often based on lifestyle choices, and it would be unfortunate if the future generation feels that it is too expensive to have children and makes decisions based solely on finances.
He also emphasized that the cost of living and financial concerns are often cited as reasons for having fewer children or delaying having children, but couples who choose to have kids often do so based on values rather than practicality.
In the past, having children was not only a way to provide security in old age, but also a source of household labor. However, as times change, having children has become more of a choice as contraceptives have become more widely used.
Chai suggested that ending the finance-centered perspective and encouraging young couples to think about the sacrifices involved in having children, rather than just the monetary costs, could help change attitudes towards starting a family.
He also proposed that the government could offer incentives for birth and child care, as well as providing free, quality education to help alleviate some financial concerns surrounding having children.
Geoffrey Williams, a professor of Economics at the Malaysian University of Science and Technology, believes that smaller families can offer a better quality of life compared to large families from the past, which often faced financial hardship.
He stated that the decision to have fewer children or be child-free is influenced by factors beyond just financial considerations, such as personal choice and resistance to social pressure.
Williams also expressed that the government could play a role in supporting parents by offering options such as extending paternity leave and other benefits, without directly interfering in private family planning decisions.
Dr. Wan Ibrahim Wan Ahmad, a sociologist and gerontologist, emphasized that the declining birth rate issue depends heavily on national policy, suggesting that countries with pro-natalist leaders encourage high birth rates through policies that support large families.
Given the current trend in Malaysia where most married couples have between two to three children, he predicts that the fertility rate will continue to decrease, especially if many young couples do not intend to have children.
