Navigating the Tightrope: Malaysians Tackle Rising Living Expenses and Work Pressures

PETALING JAYA: The National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) has recently highlighted various challenges that Malaysians are presently encountering.

Per LPPKN, the issues faced by the populace include a steep cost of living, the necessity of juggling multiple jobs to enhance household earnings, increasing expenses related to child-rearing, a decrease in family time, as well as gadget dependency.

The board mentioned that its conclusions are based on an online survey conducted with 5,430 participants aged 18 and above between November 7 and 30, which is reportedly part of the 2024 National Family Month festivities, as reported by the New Straits Times.

The survey reveals that 97% of participants concur that the high cost of living poses a significant strain on families, with 71.6% affected by the escalating costs of raising children.

Moreover, 7.6% of respondents believe that married couples ought to contemplate being child-free.

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According to the survey, 41.8% of participants find it challenging to spend sufficient time with their families, citing work obligations and the rising cost of living, averaging to 7.5 hours spent with their family, which increases to 13.4 hours on weekends.

Adzmel Mahmud, the director of LPPKN’s Population and Family Research Division noted that long-distance relationships and work-related constraints contribute to the limited family time.

“In addition, numerous breadwinners take on two jobs to provide for their families, resulting in little time for their loved ones,” he was quoted as saying.

He also mentioned that 62.2% of respondents pointed to work-related pressures as the primary reason for inadequate family time, while 16.5% attributed it to time management challenges and 8.7% highlighted long-distance relationships.

Furthermore, 38.9% of participants hold multiple jobs, ranked among the top five significant obstacles families in the nation currently face.

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Another hurdle confronted by Malaysians is gadget addiction, with 33.2% of participants emphasizing this issue.

In terms of family-oriented activities, 61.3% of respondents indicated that the primary family activity is dining together daily, followed by family gatherings at 51.6% and weekly recreational activities (32.1%).