Malaysia Anticipates Spike in Births During Year of the Dragon
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is not producing enough babies to maintain its population, but many ‘little dragons’ are expected to arrive in 2024, offering a brief respite.
Next year is the Year of the Dragon, which for the Chinese community is a particularly auspicious time to have a baby. Fertility rates have fallen sharply over the years among all major ethnic groups, with the Chinese community recording the steepest decline. But something extraordinary happens every 12 years when the Chinese fertility rate suddenly rises, coinciding with each Dragon Year: “The Chinese community’s fertility rate goes up during the Year of the Dragon because many couples choose to have babies at this time,” said Chai Sen Tyng from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
The total number of births in the country also shows a slight increase of between 2.7% and 4.7% in each Dragon Year compared with the preceding year: Chai, senior research officer at UPM’s Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, said Dragon Year fertility rate spikes are not unique to Malaysia. They also occur in many other countries and territories with significantly large Chinese populations such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Chai said it remains to be seen whether the Dragon Year trend will repeat itself in 2024, but other signs also point to a possible increase in births among Malaysia’s Chinese community next year.
Huazong president Tan Sri TC Goh. Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) president Tan Sri TC Goh said the number of births is noticeably low during the Year of the Rabbit (which is also the current year) and the Year of the Snake, which precedes and follows the Year of the Dragon. “This is because many people plan to have their children born in the Year of the Dragon,” said Goh. More weddings More wedding banquets for newly registered Chinese couples take place before or at the beginning of the Dragon Year.
Goh said the number of wedding registrations recorded at certified organisations, such as the Chinese Assembly Halls of Penang, Johor and Sabah, tends to rise during this period. “Huazong had previously operated a marriage registration service centre, and the registration volume typically increases when the Year of the Dragon approaches.” ALSO READ> Getting wed to get little ‘dragons’ School registrations rise Enrolment patterns for new students in Chinese primary schools nationwide is another sign of the popularity of having kids in the Year of the Dragon.
As children from the Rabbit, Dragon, and Snake Years enter school consecutively, the trend is obvious, said Goh. “The Year of the Dragon has been traditionally favoured and it’s passed down from our ancestors. “Nowadays, many modern couples tend to follow this tradition to fulfil the wishes of their parents and elders out of filial piety,” he said.
Perak Community Specialist Hospital ward sisters and widwives looking at dragon-year babies in this photo dated Nov 25, 2012. Melaka Heng Ann Tian Hou Goddess Devotees Organisation marriage registrar Chiew Hong Lan said couples who have registered their marriage during the pandemic years might now consider having babies, especially with the economy fully reopened.
“The Year of the Dragon is highly favoured by the Chinese community. “Those who are married but have yet to start a family are likely to seize the opportunity and have ‘dragon babies’,” she said. Feng Shui and geomancy consultant Prof Joe Choo Sook Lin said she expects many of the “dragon” babies to arrive in the months following Chinese New Year. “Many couples have prepared to conceive eight months before the Year of the Dragon, considering it safer to try earlier than at the beginning of the year,” she said. Writing on the wall Despite the cultural significance of the Year of the Dragon, Huazong’s Goh expressed concern about the declining share of the Chinese population in Malaysia and urged the younger generation to consider having more children.
“The percentage of ethnic Chinese is less than 23%, approximately seven million people out of Malaysia’s over 30 million total population. “While the overall population of the Chinese community is increasing, the percentage is decreasing compared to the faster growth of other ethnic groups.” “Considering the overall population and proportion of ethnic Chinese in the country, I encourage the idea of ethnic Chinese having more children. “As long as couples possess maturity in their thinking, have sufficient economic conditions and can afford it, the younger generation of the Chinese community should consider getting married and starting a family early,” he said. Animation: Mohd Syahril Mohd Jamil
