Terengganu urges higher birth rate as state nears ‘ageing’ status

KUALA NERUS – The Terengganu government is encouraging young couples to have more children as the state edges closer to being classified as an "ageing state," with elderly residents nearly making up 15 per cent of its population.

State Welfare, Women’s Development, Family and National Unity Executive Councillor Maliaman Kassim stated that a state is officially recognised as an ageing society when the proportion of elderly residents reaches that threshold.

He stated that the situation signals a significant shift in the state’s demographic structure, requiring careful study and coordinated action from all stakeholders.

Maliaman suggested that the declining birth rate is not necessarily driven by economic factors alone, but is more closely linked to awareness levels and the confidence of young couples in raising children.

“I do not see the economy as the main factor. It is more about confidence and the perception young couples have regarding their own capabilities,” he said, speaking after the Terengganu Hijab Day celebration at the Terengganu State Sports Complex on Thursday.

He observed that highly educated couples with stable incomes tend to have only three or four children, despite being financially secure.

“If we look at income levels, many husbands and wives are both working and earning good salaries. With household incomes reaching tens of thousands of ringgit, in theory, it is not impossible to raise eight or nine children.

“However, they lack confidence and often cite reasons such as house size and financial planning,” he said.

Maliaman shared his experience of visiting several developing nations that continue to record high birth rates despite significantly weaker economic conditions.

He highlighted that the issue has been discussed in several recent programmes with the Family Development Foundation (YPK) and the State Family Development Foundation (YPKT) to formulate suitable interventions.

“God willing, we will organise several programmes and examine the role of the foundation in introducing initiatives that can encourage young people to marry and have more children,” he added.