SHAH ALAM, Nov 23 — Parents are encouraged to strengthen their knowledge and parenting skills following an increase in underage teenage pregnancy cases over the past five years.
The Malaysian Psychological Association's (Psima) President Associate Professor Dr Shazli Ezzat Ghazali said many social problems among teenagers stem from weak family relationships, causing them to make decisions on their own without proper guidance.
“Parental involvement is extremely important in emotional education. In the West, parenting skills are emphasised, including the practice of making win-win decisions between parents and children.
“In Malaysia, many children grow up without guidance because parents are working, and they end up making their own decisions. We need to bring parents into parenting training,” he told Media Selangor.
Dr Shazli was commenting on reports showing that 16,951 unmarried teenagers aged 19 and below were recorded as pregnant between 2020 and 2024, based on Health Ministry (MOH) data, as cited by Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
He added that the government has already provided comprehensive sexual education in schools, but efforts to address this issue require the cooperation of all parties, regardless of background.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia clinical psychology and behavioural health senior lecturer said that teenagers’ decision-making and emotional management skills must be given serious attention.
“Many aspects have already been implemented, such as awareness campaigns and sexual education. What needs to be strengthened are decision-making skills and emotional management,” Dr Shazli explained.
Describing teenage pregnancy as a developmental crisis, he said environmental factors, including peer influence, play a major role in teenagers’ lives.
Dr Shazli noted that it is time for society to stop looking down on or ostracising underage pregnant teenagers to prevent this social issue from continuing without a proper solution.
“When we talk about stigma, these young women often hide their pregnancies. This increases the risk of baby dumping. We need to reduce the stigma; otherwise, they may feel the child needs to be removed (aborted) from their lives,” he said.
