Tiang (centre) presenting the newborn incentive to parents at the ceremony in Sibu.
Sarawak government is rolling out an incentive offering cash to parents with newborn babies, as it heads towards an ageing state.
State Public Health, Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Datuk Michael Tiang said this push was to encourage young couples to start a family.
“We must motivate young people to have children.
“Sarawak is among Malaysia’s ageing states.
“I estimate that around 16% of our population is elderly, and this figure is climbing,” he said during an incentive presentation ceremony in Sibu.
The event saw Tiang, who is Pelawan assemblyman, distributing RM105,100 in incentives through the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Pelawan service centre.
The funds were allocated across three categories, namely education incentive (25 recipients), newlywed incentive (80) and newborn incentive (192).
While the state has ambitious plans for the future such as focusing on green energy, aerospace and other burgeoning industries, Tiang said the state needed a younger population to maintain its workforce.
“We require a vast pool of young talents.
“This is why Sarawak has introduced various initiatives, including free tertiary education from 2026, Bantuan Ibu Bersalin (aid for new mothers) and the RM1,000 Endowment Fund Sarawak trust savings account for every child born in Sarawak,” he said.
Acknowledging the challenges of starting a family in today’s economic pressures, Tiang emphasised its importance for Sarawak’s long-term prosperity.
“For this reason, a significant portion of the Sarawak government’s revenue is being invested in our future generations,” he said.
Tiang added that last year, 269 newborns in Pelawan benefitted from the state’s incentive, along with 92 newlyweds and 25 students who received educational support.
