BAYAN Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin has recently called on Malaysian Chinese to have more babies to arrest the “alarming” decline in birthrate among the community.
“When I look into the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s latest statistics, I found out that Malaysian Chinese not only have less babies but there are less marriages, too! Double shocks!!” penned the former deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister on his Facebook page.
Is the MP politically tone-deaf? Does he have any idea why the community is reluctant to produce kids or are getting married at an older age, if at all?
There is no need to tell Malaysian Chinese to produce more kids. Having lots of children has traditionally been part of the Chinese psyche.
We have proverbs like 子孙满堂 or “may your descendants fill the hall”. This saying expresses the wish for a large and prosperous family with many children and grandchildren.
It is no accident that China has until recently been the most populous nation in the world before being overtaken by India.
The falling birthrate for Malaysian Chinese is attributed to a host of socio-economic factors. The top one has to do with costs. A normal delivery in a private hospital in Malaysia ranges from RM5,000 to RM10,000 while a Caesarean procedure can cost three times more.
And then there are the costs of bringing up children such as education. A university degree in a private tertiary institution in Malaysia can cost upward of RM50,000 while that of an overseas education can be many times over.
The cost of living has also been creeping up in Malaysia whether its food, transportation, utilities or even healthcare.
For Chinese parents, it all boils down to quality versus quantity. If they have more kids, their financial resources will be more stretched. That is really a no-brainer.
Many are also getting married later as they want to save up before getting hitched given the exorbitant costs of owning a home or raising kids.
And unlike those from other communities, Malaysian Chinese face other challenges, too. They do not have the kind of support from the state as accorded to the Bumiputera such as admission into the MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) or access to financial instruments like Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) and Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB).
So instead of calling on Malaysian Chinese to go forth and multiply, perhaps Sim should instead address the root causes of why the community is reluctant to do so.
Since his party PKR is now in the Federal government, he can start with pushing for policies to alleviate the costs of living, especially in urban areas where most Chinese reside.
Sim can also look into levelling the playing field when it comes to state support to the community with emphasis on needs rather than race.
When all these impediments are removed, Sim can rest assured that he would not need to call on Malaysian Chinese to make more babies. They would just as their ancestors in China did, gladly be doing so like a duck taking to water. – Feb 15, 2024
Main pic credit: Getty Image
