BUTTERWORTH: The government is ramping up efforts to increase Malaysia’s total fertility rate (TFR), which has been declining over the past 15 years, by promoting inclusive solutions to include men.
Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the country’s TFR is at 1.7 this year, a slight improvement from 1.6 last year, but remains below the replacement level of 2.1.
“This is still not enough, which is why we are expanding awareness through more programmes and roadshows. Sometimes, women are not the problem - men could also be the cause of the low fertility.”
Nancy said this to reporters here today after officiating the Women’s Inspiration Programme: Womenpreneurs - Shaping The Future Economy, organised by the Department of Women’s Development in collaboration with the Penang Women’s Development Corporation.
She said the national roadshow began in Sabah and will soon continue across other states.
“There are several other programmes under the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) that address fertility issues, with solutions catering to both genders,” she said.
On today’s event, Nancy said the programme provided an avenue for women entrepreneurs to learn, share strategies, and build support networks.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing women’s leadership across multiple sectors, noting this is a key objective of the National Women’s Policy and the Women’s Development Action Plan 2025–2030, launched on International Women’s Day in March.
Today, women make up 49 per cent of Malaysia’s population, but out of a total of 222 Members of Parliament, only 13.36 per cent are women, which is still a huge gap, she said.
“However, there has been encouraging progress as 38.9 per cent of top positions in the public sector are now held by women, and women also account for 32.2 per cent of board members in publicly listed companies,” she remarked.
At the ministerial level, Nancy said her ministry is nurturing future female leaders through initiatives like the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship Programme (PERANTIS), launched last year, which has mentored over 1,200 women through guidance from 25 prominent figures across 10 major sectors.
She said, this year, the programme will be expanded with RM5 million in funding, involving 100 mentors and 5,000 participants - underscoring the government’s continued investment in developing women leadership.
