Malaysia's demographic transition

This book is an important contribution to the understanding of the demography of Malaysia - a country abundant in land and natural resources but with a long history, spanning through its pre-independence era to the present day, of a shortage of people and human resources. The book's main focus is on changes and differentials in fertility behaviour, their causes, and their consequences. It outlines the modern history of changes in Malaysia's population and the economic, social, political, and cultural context within which the changes have occurred. It gives a detailed analysis of the dimensions of the fertility transition that has occurred, at differing paces and to differing degrees, among the three major communities in the states of Peninsular Malaysia since independence in 1957. A study is also made of the mortality and fertility changes that have occurred among the main communities in the lesser developed states of Sabah and Sarawak. Demographic changes that have occurred among the Malays, Chinese, and Indians in Malaysia are compared and contrasted with those that have taken place among similar cultural groups elsewhere in South-East and East Asia. It concludes by giving the likely demographic scenario that Malaysia will follow as it progresses towards becoming a fully developed nation by the year 2020.