There’s No Population Pressure Here

TWENTY years since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s rather unorthodox proposition that an eventual 70 million population would be right for Malaysia, latest figures show that the country now has 25.7 million people – funny enough, that, as it is, appears to be too many for city folk enduring the daily traffic grind and too few for people who have to import workers to keep their businesses going.

What, therefore, is the optimum population for this country, which has moved away from agriculture to manufacturing, away from labour-intensive industries and seeking a fully-developed status by 2020?

Experts have no ready answer but what is clear is that Malaysia’s population has almost tripled since it was formed in 1963 with the inclusion of Sabah and Sarawak in the federation.

And trends seem to indicate a remarkable growth over the years in the physique of an average Malaysian as well. Notice that children are often bigger than their parents by the time they reach their teens.

Whether the pointers are good or bad remain to be seen but the latest figures from the Department of Statistics show that the country’s population has come a long way from the six million when Independence was attained in 1957 and probably well on the road to the 70 million long-term projection mooted by Dr Mahathir.

Subsequently, the former Prime Minister, while tabling the Sixth Malaysia Plan in July 1991 said: “It is a matter of satisfaction and pride for Malaysia to be able to actually improve per capita income as well as living standards despite the rapid population growth.

The Government would like to correct the wrong impression that we must actively promote population increases. The 70 million target is to be achieved in the year 2100.

“At present rates, we will reach 70 million by 2050, 50 years before the target date. There is no necessity for people to hurry. As such the current growth rate of 2.4 per cent has to be reduced.”

Malaysia’s population growth has actually slowed since then as it is now between 1.8 and two per cent. And as the country becomes more developed and the people more affluent and knowledgeable, the rate is likely to decline even further, which could mean that the country’s population would be nowhere near 70 million in 50 years.

In fact, figures projected by the United Nations Population Fund indicate that the population will grow to 28 million in 2015 and 31.3 million in 2025. By 2050, the country will only have 37.8 million people, roughly equivalent to the current population of Spain or Argentina.

Given Malaysia’s GDP growth and the impact of uncertainties in many parts of the world, less seems best as far as population is concerned although the country enjoys a very low unemployment rate.

Malaysians also do not have to worry about lack of breathing space that comes with a big population because there’s definitely room for more since its population density now is less than 70 people per sq km as against Macau’s 21,000 or Singapore’s 5,600.

But, of course, the aspiration will always be to strive for quality rather than quantity, emulating countries such as Australia (population density 2.5 people per sq km) or Sweden (21.7) where performances – whether economic, socio-cultural or sports – are constantly excellent.

In the midst of all this, hasn’t it been quite noticeable that the physical build of Malaysians is getting bigger?

It is not uncommon these days to see secondary schoolchildren as tall as six feet (1.85m) and in most cases, they tend to be bigger than their parents.

Many attribute this to diet and better nutrition – protein-rich food and meaty fast food which are becoming staples. But added to that, obesity and unhealthy lifestyles are also a worry among the adults.

The pattern, however, differs from country to country. In Scotland, for instance, the people seem to be getting smaller. It was reported that until the middle of the 19th century, the Highland Scots were the tallest and heaviest in Europe.

The average height of a man was six feet, while seven-foot giants were not uncommon. People also remained active long after their 80th year, and ages of over a hundred were common.

The staple diet of the Highlanders at that time was oatmeal porridge, cakes made from barley or stoneground oat-flour, vegetables, milk, butter, eggs and cheese with occasional fish, beef, venison, wild fruits, honey and the famous Scottish soups.

But things have apparently changed. Today, the rates of premature death among people under 65 are higher in Scotland and Northern Ireland than in any other European country and experts are grappling to find out why.

Another interesting news report recently was about Vietnam, which is well-known as a land where the people are all short, slim and slender. There is now a plan in that country to increase the average height of men and women by about 6.35cm over the next 25 years.

Vietnam went through a long period of war and poverty where milk and meat were true luxuries. But now a pilot project would select 10,000 children ages six to 18 and supply them with free milk for two years to see how much they grow.

A similar programme ought to be considered in Malaysia if it wishes to attain excellence in sports.