Too costly to raise a family? Sarawak’s young couples face quandary

Sarawak's Premier Abang Johari Openg has warned that the rising cost of raising a family in the region could lead young couples to reconsider starting a family. Speaking at the Sarawak United National Youth Organisation's annual meeting, he emphasized that financial commitments are a significant factor that young couples consider before having children. "The cost of raising children, including basic necessities such as milk, can add up," Dayak Daily reported him as saying in Sibu.

The premier stated that the government's efforts to ease financial burdens, such as the Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance Scheme and free tertiary education, are part of a broader strategy to make Sarawak more attractive for people to live and raise families. Abang Johari noted that while these measures may seem insignificant individually, they can accumulate over time.

He highlighted that the decision to have children directly impacts Sarawak's population growth, but this issue cannot be isolated from the state's economic prospects. To support a larger population, the government must expand the economy and create more opportunities for its citizens. Abang Johari called on young Sarawakians to shift from being mere consumers to becoming creators of products and employment opportunities to drive the state's new economic development.

He urged them to acquire new knowledge and technologies, while embracing calculable risks, for progress cannot be achieved without taking such risks.