Elderly will still be given special focus, says minister

KANGAR: The government will continue to give special attention, especially to senior citizens, as the country prepares itself to be an ageing nation by 2030.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said the percentage of senior citizens (above 60 years old) was expected to increase drastically to 5.3 million in the next 10 years.

“In 2020, there were 3.7 million senior citizens in the country, and it is expected to increase by 15.3 per cent, to 5.3 million in 2030,” she said in her speech at the Volunteerism @ Pawe: Basic Volunteer Skills Workshop here yesterday.

Rina said studies showed that almost 23 per cent, or 538,000 individuals from 2.4 million senior citizens, suffered from empty nest syndrome, which refers to parents’ loneliness after their adult children have left home.

Loneliness and depression, she said, affected senior citizens and this would limit their role as active members of the society.

She said the government, through the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, would emphasise the Strategic Plan 2021-2025 on the development of senior citizens.

She said under the 2021 Budget, the government had raised the annual financial aid for each Senior Citizen Activity Centre to RM50,000 from RM33,330 so that they could carry out programmes and activities in line with the concept of active and productive senior citizens.

The government had allocated RM7.15 million this year for the operation of 143 Senior Citizen Activity Centres and this reflected its commitment to improve the quality of life of senior citizens, she added.

In 2020, there were 3.7 million senior citizens in the country, and it is expected to increase by 15.3 per cent, to 5.3 million in 2030.

DATUK SERI RINA MOHD HARUN

Women, Family and Community Development Minister