GEORGE TOWN: It will be difficult to stem the ageing population tide because young working couples are not willing to have children unless childcare facilities are readily available, says Penang Senior Citizens Association immediate past president Datuk Lawrence Cheah.
He said faced with the high cost of living, couples were more focused on the advancement of their careers and many were not having children.
“Most of them stay in different towns from their parents after getting married, thus their parents will not be able to take care of the children.
“Daycare is an additional expense. This is excluding the other expenses of bringing up a child, which makes them think twice about having a baby,” he said in an interview.
According to the latest population and household census by the Statistics Department, the size of the average Malaysian household has shrunk over the past 10 years, from 4.3 persons in 2010 to 3.8 in 2020.
The country’s total fertility rate (TFR) of women in the reproductive age fell to 1.7 babies in 2020 compared with 1.8 babies in 2019.
Cheah, who is also Rose Charities Malaysia president, said he was not surprised that the fertility rate in the country has fallen as having a child at the beginning of one’s career is viewed as a burden.
He added that the government should have quality childcare centres that are safe and affordable for middle-income earners.
“If such support care is available, young couples would have more confidence in starting a family within their budget, instead of forking out exorbitant daycare charges,” he added.
He said the 2020 fertility rate is the lowest in four decades. In 1970, the rate was 4.9 children per woman.
Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader said an economic downside to an ageing population is a shortage of younger workers.
“Not all economic activities can be automated and a high dependence on young foreign workers means there is an outflow of currency.
“The government will have to build more daycare centres for senior citizens,” he said, adding that people could leave their elderly parents at these daycare centres while at work and pick them up later.
“This will give elderly parents an opportunity to socialise rather than staying at home with little or no social interaction.”
Mohideen said these retirement homes should have more geriatric specialists, with the Health Ministry and private hospitals also increasing medical specialists in other fields such as cardiology, orthopaedics and nephrology.
CAP had earlier predicted that by 2030, 15% of the country’s population will be aged 60 and above, compared to only 3% aged 65 and above in 1970.
It urged the government to act immediately or it would not be able to address the problems caused by a declining birth rate and a growing ageing population.
Statistics from 2020 show that Penang is in the second position next to Perak with 14.9% of its population aged 60 and above, a figure which will rise to 26.2% by 2040.`
Penang welfare committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the state has a comprehensive senior citizens programme that is being upgraded every year.
He said under the Pusat Aktiviti Warga Emas (Pawe) programme, every constituency has a daycare centre funded by the state.
“We have roped in developers to have such centres, and working couples can leave their aged parents there and pick them up when they return.
“Many of the clan houses are also being used to place senior citizens, with registered ones in the state numbering 220,000,” he added.
Phee said several senior citizens homes registered with the state Welfare Department had been given a total of RM640,000 to run their activities this year.