BY SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA & AWANG MUHAMMAD SYAHMI
KUCHING: The birth rate in Sarawak is a cause for concern and must be addressed in view of how the state’s population is becoming an ageing society by 2027.
Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the state was recording approximately 20,000 in birth rate followed by a death rate of 14,000 every year.
“This will be a challenge for Sarawak because our population is becoming an ageing society in 2027. As we move towards an ageing community, it will have an impact on the elderly especially in terms of health care and welfare because there may not be anyone to look after them.
“So, how will the elderly pay for health care? It is tough to rely solely on government support and withdrawals from the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).
“Moreover, there is also the question of who will look after us when we are old. We are getting older, but the birth rate is low,” he said.
He said this during a press conference after officiating at the International Midwifes’ Day Conference 2023 (IMDC 23) at the Raia Hotel Convention Centre Kuching yesterday.
The Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government predicted that the birth rate in the state would not bounce back.
He said on the government’s part, it could only encourage people to have more children, however it was a personal decision.
“The state government has various incentives and initiatives such as offering free tertiary education at Sarawak owned institutions,” he said.
