Malaysian authorities denounce child-free trend as unacceptable and dangerous

The religious affairs minister said it goes against Islamic teachings while the National Security Council said it could cause ‘crisis’

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Malaysia’s birth rate has fallen steeply over the last 50 years. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:30pm, 19 Jul 2024Updated: 5:17pm, 19 Jul 2024

Online debate over Malaysian couples choosing to live child-free has escalated, with the country’s security apparatus and religious authorities labelling the trend as dangerous and unacceptable in a country with a sharply declining birth rate.

In Malaysia, like many other parts of Asia, an increasing number of couples are not only choosing not to have children but also speaking out about their reasons for going child-free on social media, going against the country’s conservative cultural taboos.

In response to the growing trend, Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar spoke out against child-free lifestyles, calling them “not acceptable” for Malay Muslims, who make up nearly 70 per cent of the population.

“Marriage comes with responsibilities, with men becoming leaders and women becoming mothers,” Mohd Naim said at a Father’s Day celebration on June 29.

Soon after, the National Security Council (NSC) voiced its own criticism of the child-free trend. In a rare commentary posted on its website in early July, the council said that “the concept of child-free is capable of causing a demographic imbalance in society.”