SHAH ALAM, Sept 1 — The Selangor government is conducting a study on Family-Friendly Employment Practices to ensure workplace demands do not become a barrier for couples seeking to start families, as part of efforts to address the state’s declining fertility rate.
State executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari said the challenge of an ageing population is driven not only by longer life expectancy, but also by declining fertility rates.
She said Selangor’s total fertility rate (TFR) currently stands at around 1.5 to 1.6 children per woman, well below the population replacement level of about 2.1 children.
“In the long term, this means that not only will the elderly population continue to grow, but the growth of younger generations entering the workforce will also slow.
“This will, in turn, place greater pressure on the old-age dependency ratio,” she said in a written interview with Media Selangor on measures under the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2) to address the challenges of an ageing population.
Anfaal said the state government does not intend to dictate how many children families should have, but rather aims to remove barriers that may discourage couples from starting and raising a family.
Among the measures being encouraged are the provision of childcare facilities at workplaces, flexible working hours, caregiving leave and the adoption of family-friendly employment practices.
“In Selangor, the state government has begun a study on Family-Friendly Employment Practices, and the findings will be presented to all agencies under the state government.
“This is a starting point to ensure that jobs or workplaces do not become a barrier for couples who want to start and raise children.”
Automation, AI to reduce reliance on workforce
Meanwhile, Anfaal said the growing elderly population, coupled with slower growth in the working-age population, is expected to increase the old-age dependency ratio.
As such, the use of automation, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) must be expanded to boost productivity and reduce reliance on workers for functions that can be automated, she said.
“This approach is in line with the direction of RS-2, which identifies AI and technology as key drivers of efficiency.
“Countries that are further along in ageing, such as Japan, are also continuing to expand the use of technology and automation to address labour shortages.”
Anfaal said Selangor’s priority is to ensure productivity and economic growth across various sectors remain strong despite changes in the workforce structure.
This is important to enable the state government to maintain a strong economic and fiscal foundation to provide public services, care and social protection for the growing elderly population, she added.
“We need to take a comprehensive approach to addressing population ageing, including preparing for the growing elderly population, building a family-friendly ecosystem to address declining fertility rates, and boosting productivity through technology and automation.
“This is a long-term preparation to ensure Selangor remains a state that is liveable for its people at every stage of life,” she said.
