KUCHING: The ‘Akad Semarak Ummah 2023’ programme will be expanded to boost the birth rate, aiming to achieve a population of 46 million in the country by 2071.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that this initiative is crucial due to a significant decline in the population’s fertility rate over the past 50 years.
Under this programme, the government covers the costs of wedding ceremonies and feasts for selected couples, alleviating their financial burdens as they embark on a new chapter in life.
As such, Nancy highlighted the urgency by pointing out the sharp decline in Malaysia’s fertility rate, dropping from 6.7 children per woman in 1957 to a record low of 1.6 children in 2022.
“Our ministry encourages this programme to continue to be held with the goal of helping to increase birth rates due to the observed decline in fertility rates in Malaysia.
“The fertility rate of the country’s population has experienced a sudden decline, decreasing from 6.7 children per woman in 1957 to 4.0 children in 1980.
“Furthermore, in 2000, it was only 3.0 children; in 2010, it was 2.1 children; and currently, in 2022, it is only 1.6 children per woman, marking the lowest rate ever recorded in our country,” she said.
She said this during a press conference after the ‘Akad Semarak Ummah’ 2023 programme at Darul Hana Kuching Mosque here on Saturday.
Nancy expressed concern that the low fertility rate is hastening population ageing, projecting Malaysia to become an ageing nation by 2044, with 15 per cent of the population aged 60 and above.
As such, she said the initiative of hosting such a programme not only helps couples financially but also encourages legal marriages among young people, addressing the issue of unplanned teenage pregnancies.
In the programme, a total of 30 couples participated, with all expenses covered by the government. The couples only needed to contribute RM15 to obtain their marriage certificates.
Towards this end, Nancy assured that the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) also provides courses for young couples to manage themselves and plan for their families.
