PUTRAJAYA: From struggling to make ends meet to balancing job and fatherhood in the digital age, Malaysian men are facing increasingly complex challenges that require more support beyond their traditional role as breadwinners, says Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (pic).
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said these realities have prompted the government to embark on its first comprehensive national study on men’s wellbeing and empowerment under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
The 18-month Kajian Lelaki Budiman Negara, which begins this month, aims to better understand the issues confronting men and formulate policies that strengthen families and communities.
“The study will help us formulate the Lelaki Budiman Negara initiative to produce resilient, responsible men who can contribute meaningfully to family well-being and national development,” she said when opening the Men’s Empowerment Consultative Forum here yesterday.
Nancy said the findings and recommendations gathered from the forum would serve as inputs for the study.
She said men today, especially young fathers, are juggling rising living costs, work demands and the challenges of raising children amid the influence of social media and digital technology.
Many of them are also struggling to adapt to their responsibilities as head of household without sufficient support systems, she said.
“These challenges require men to be resilient not only physically but also emotionally, with good parenting skills and strong mental well-being,” she said.
Nancy stressed that empowering men should not be limited to their economic contributions or role as providers.
Instead, it must include emotional resilience, parenting literacy, financial management skills and stronger social support networks, she said.
Citing Health Ministry data, she said the suicide rate among men was almost three times higher than that of women, while the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 found that 4.6% of Malaysians aged 16 and above experienced depression, including men.
Economic pressures have also continued to weigh on families, she said, citing Bank Negara’s data which showed that household debt stood at 84.3% of GDP.
As for divorce cases, it rose by 4.1% to 60,457 in 2024, with financial stress, failure to manage maintenance obligations and prolonged domestic conflicts among the contributing factors.
Police statistics last year also showed that 95% of domestic violence perpetrators were men, underscoring the need for a more holistic approach to men’s development, she added.
To coordinate such efforts, Nancy said the ministry had established a Men Empowerment Network (MEN), which brings together government agencies, NGOs, academics, professionals and individuals to champion men’s empowerment initiatives.
The network was initiated following an engagement session involving 18 NGOs on April 30.
“MEN is not merely a collaborative network but a catalyst for building the Lelaki Budiman Negara initiative.
“We want to nurture more men who respect women, share family responsibilities, prioritise mental well-being and become husbands, fathers and leaders with integrity.”
Nancy stressed that empowering men was not about elevating one gender over another but about fostering mutual respect and stronger family institutions.
“An empowered man is not one who dominates, but one who leads with wisdom, shares responsibilities and respects women as partners in building a family.”
She said stronger men would ultimately build stronger families, more resilient communities and a better future for the nation.
