THE government’s proposal to introduce a specific legislation to protect the welfare and rights of the elderly is timely as the number of senior citizens is increasing each year, said social activist Lee Lam Thye.

He said there are serious problems and challenges ahead, given the fact that Malaysia will be considered an ageing nation when 7% of its population will be 65 and older by 2030.

Lee said the new act will specifically protect the elderly and is in line with efforts to protect the rights of the senior citizens, especially when it comes to issues of neglect and abuse.

“We often hear stories of senior citizens who are not properly taken care of and are even left to live in a deplorable condition. It pains me whenever I read about parents being abandoned at a hospital, welfare home or even bus stop by their own children or relatives,” he said in a statement today. 

On September 23, Bernama reported that Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the government agreed that there was a need for legislation to protect the rights of the elderly in view of the increasing number of cases of neglect and abuse of this group.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the women, family and community development minister, said a bill for senior citizens is expected to be tabled in Parliament in early 2021.

Lee added that, since the cost of living is expected to increase in years to come, it was important to provide a social safety net including allowing healthy and experienced senior citizens to work.

“We could emulate the approach taken by other countries which had introduced various financial incentives for employers to hire or retain older workers and subsidise job training for them.

“Malaysia must also have a more comprehensive social security programme since studies show that the retirement income for most of the older people is inadequate,” he said. 

Lee also called for more civil society groups to be set up to care for senior citizens who are neglected by their family members, especially those who suffer from illness.

“We need to help the elderly to remain in the community by providing day-care centres and day hospitals, social clubs, rehabilitation, counselling and consultation centres, volunteer schemes and home nursing,” he said. – Bernama, September 28, 2019.