Baby crisis: MCA fears Chinese representation fade-out
Published: May 16, 2025 12:10 PM
Updated: 2:12 PM
Summary
- Wanita MCA raises concerns over plummeting birth rates among Chinese in Malaysia.
- Statistics Department says only 7,350 Chinese babies were born in the first four months of 2025 - a record low, reflecting an 8.6 percent decline.
- The community also records the lowest fertility rate at 0.8 children per woman.
Wanita MCA has raised concerns that plummeting birth rates among Chinese in Malaysia could fundamentally alter their community's standing in the local political landscape.
According to the latest data from the Statistics Department, only 7,350 Chinese babies were born in the first four months of 2025, declining by 8.6 percent, the lowest in Malaysia's history.
Wanita MCA national chairperson Wong You Fong said this is a "serious warning sign that we are facing a demographic, social, and cultural crisis".
"If this trend continues, we are not only looking at a shrinking population, we are facing the very real possibility of becoming a marginalised minority in our own country. Such a shift will inevitably weaken our political representation, economic influence, and cultural presence," she added.
Wong warned that this demographic shift threatens to undermine the multicultural balance that has been the cornerstone of Malaysia's stability and development since independence.
Unaddressed systemic issues
Wong acknowledged that the birth dearth stems directly from young families' economic challenges - soaring living costs, expensive education, housing unaffordability, inadequate childcare options, and work-life balance pressures for women.
She said that these systemic problems have been worsening without meaningful intervention.
Wanita MCA national chairperson Wong You Fong
"While it is heartening that many of the young adults in our society are ambitious, we must also acknowledge that many are choosing not to marry or have children.
“Not because they don’t want to, but because they feel they can’t. We are witnessing the erosion of hope and confidence in building a stable family life," she said.
Wong implored educators at both primary and secondary levels "to guide students in understanding that raising a family is not merely a personal decision but a foundation".
"There is no room for complacency. This is a defining moment. If we truly care about our future as a community and as a nation, we must act now—with urgency, empathy, and purpose," she added.
Overall birth decline in Malaysia
Malay Mail reported yesterday that Malaysia has hit a historic low in birth rates, with just 93,500 babies born in the first quarter of 2025, an 11.5 percent decline from the same period last year.
Citing DOSM's data released yesterday, the report said all states recorded falling birth numbers except for three east coast states: Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang.
The report quoted chief statistician Uzir Mahidin saying that the three states have total fertility rates above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
Terengganu recorded the highest fertility rate at 2.9 children per woman, followed by Kelantan at 2.7 and Pahang at 2.1.
Penang and Kuala Lumpur registered the lowest total fertility rates with just 1.2 children per woman, while Sabah, previously among the highest, declined to 1.4.
According to Uzir, Sabah experienced the most rapid decline in fertility, dropping from 5.5 children per woman in 1980 to 1.4 in 2022.
The ethnic Chinese community recorded the lowest fertility rate overall, at just 0.8 children per woman.
“Not because they don’t want to, but because they feel they can’t. We are witnessing the erosion of hope and confidence in building a stable family life," she said.
Wong implored educators at both primary and secondary levels "to guide students in understanding that raising a family is not merely a personal decision but a foundation".
"There is no room for complacency. This is a defining moment. If we truly care about our future as a community and as a nation, we must act now—with urgency, empathy, and purpose," she added.
Overall birth decline in Malaysia
Malay Mail reported yesterday that Malaysia has hit a historic low in birth rates, with just 93,500 babies born in the first quarter of 2025, an 11.5 percent decline from the same period last year.
Citing DOSM's data released yesterday, the report said all states recorded falling birth numbers except for three east coast states: Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang.
The report quoted chief statistician Uzir Mahidin saying that the three states have total fertility rates above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
Terengganu recorded the highest fertility rate at 2.9 children per woman, followed by Kelantan at 2.7 and Pahang at 2.1.
Penang and Kuala Lumpur registered the lowest total fertility rates with just 1.2 children per woman, while Sabah, previously among the highest, declined to 1.4.
According to Uzir, Sabah experienced the most rapid decline in fertility, dropping from 5.5 children per woman in 1980 to 1.4 in 2022.
The ethnic Chinese community recorded the lowest fertility rate overall, at just 0.8 children per woman.
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