Nik Norliati Fitri Md Nor, a researcher in demography and ageing population at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the Malays largely draw their influence from the teachings of Islam and their cultural traditions.
“The Malay community desires to have many children as it aligns with the encouragement in Islam to increase the followers of Prophet Muhammad.
“The values and traditions of the Malays also emphasise the expectation that children will care for their ageing parents in the future.
“Islamic teachings also emphasise that children are a profound blessing, and sustenance for the child has been assured by Allah,” Nik Norliati Fitri told FMT.
Meanwhile, she said, the Chinese community tend to prioritise the pursuit of wealth, and have a “quality over quantity” mindset when it comes to childbirth.
“The Chinese culture prioritises providing education for children and emphasises wealth and prosperity. Many Chinese families also tend to focus on attaining a higher quality of life and personal satisfaction.
“The use of contraception and family planning methods in the Chinese community have also increased as they (prefer) to control their family size according to their capabilities,” Nik Norliati Fitri said.
Data published on the US’s Central Intelligence Agency’s website said Malaysia’s total fertility rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.73 in 2024.
Meanwhile, a statistics department report issued last year showed that the Malay demographic recorded the highest TFR of 2.1 babies per woman, while the Chinese, at 0.8 babies, was the lowest. The ethnic Indian community recorded a TFR of 1.6 children.
TFR is an indicator used to estimate the average number of children that a woman is likely to have during her childbearing years, between the ages 15 and 49. The replacement level needed to maintain the current population level is approximately 2.1 babies per woman.
Dr Choong Sim Poey of the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia agreed, adding that the Chinese community often prioritise quality education for their children, which comes at a high cost, leading them to want fewer children.
“Even worse is the fact that after attaining success in higher education, they are encouraged to emigrate, further skewing the racial balance,” said Choong.
Nik Norliati Fitri said that the country’s overall TFR has declined over the years due to increased costs of living and women’s participation in the workforce, both being key deciding factors for family size.
Citing data from the statistics department, she said the TFR across all major ethnic groups in Malaysia has declined, from 2.2 children per woman in 2011, to 1.6 children in 2022.
The TFR for the Malay ethnic group dropped to 2.1 children in 2022, compared to 2.8 in 2011. For the Chinese, it fell from 1.6 children in 2011, to 0.8 in 2022.
“There are various factors contributing to the decline in fertility among these three ethnic groups, including the increasing cost for childcare, education, housing and healthcare,” said Nik Norliati Fitri.
Moving forward
Nik Norliati Fitri said the government must tackle the declining birth rate as a slow regeneration of population will speed up the country’s transition to an aged nation, which Malaysia now expects to become by 2030.
“Several initiatives are necessary, such as providing access to affordable reproductive healthcare, implementing education programmes to increase awareness of fertility issues, and providing financial support to people facing difficulties in seeking infertility treatments.
“Enhancing cultural and social norms that value parenthood, family and intergenerational support can also foster positive attitudes towards having more children,” she added.