Deputy women, family and community development minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said this was based on sperm analysis data from the national population and family development board (LPPKN), which found that 60% of tests had abnormal results.

“This directly contributes to the increase in fertility problems among married couples in Malaysia.

“At the same time, the birth rate in our country also showed a downward trend over the last 40 years, and it is closely related to the fertility rate, with the data from the statistics department showing 1.7 children per every married woman in 2021,” she said during the question-and-answer session today.

She was responding to a question from Dominic Lau about action taken by the ministry to deal with the declining birth rate.

Aiman Athirah said the men’s wellness clinic started operating at the LPPKN subfertility clinic here in October last year. This service will be expanded to six other LPPKN clinics in the peninsula and Sarawak this year.

“This clinic offers health screening services, consultation for sexual problems and healthy living practices, as well as medical treatment to increase fertility.

“To help married couples deal with fertility problems, LPPKN has been offering fertility treatment since 1979, namely at the subfertility clinics in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor,” she said.

Aiman Athirah said the initiative has resulted in 6,000 pregnancies and 4,000 births so far, which is on par with international fertility treatment centres.

She also said that among the factors contributing to the decline in the fertility rate were changes in lifestyle and the high cost of living, the participation of women in the labour force, and late marriages leading to a shorter reproductive age.