Sarawak, Penang at focus of moves to boost birth rates

Malaysia's fertility rate has dropped to 1.6%, below the threshold of 2.1% needed for population growth. To counter this trend, the government plans to prioritize Penang and Sarawak in their initiatives to boost birth rates. Nancy Shukri, the minister for women, family and community development, announced this focus on the two states, highlighting the need for fertility-related programs to encourage young families.

In-vitro fertilisation is among the measures being considered, with the ministry planning to intensify its efforts on fertility programs in the coming year. Shukri emphasized the importance of such initiatives, stating that the low population is a concern and that the government has proposed related programs. While fertility programs already exist, the ministry aims to prioritize them next year to stimulate more young Malaysians to start families.

Budget proposals for fertility-related measures have been submitted, and studies on fertility rates have been conducted to aid in formulating effective policies to increase birth rates in Malaysia.