Skills, services for senior folk to build silver economy
Penang unveils five-year digital master plan to empower ageing workforce
PENANG is set to pioneer a new approach to its ageing population, aiming to build a 'silver economy' where senior citizens remain active in the workforce through digital empowerment.
This forward-thinking strategy is the cornerstone of the state's five-year Digital Economy Master Plan (DEMP) 2025-2030.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow unveiled the plan, which provides a clear roadmap for equipping mature workers with accessible and age-friendly digital tools, skills and services.
The initiative is particularly timely, as it aligns with a growing national debate over raising the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65.
The Federal Government is currently studying this proposal, with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, saying that it was a 'waste' to lose productive workers at 60.
Unveiling the master plan at the Penang Digital Economy Summit 2025, Chow explained that the new roadmap was designed to make Penang a digital-first state.
This will be a collaborative effort involving state and federal agencies, government-linked companies and industry leaders.
Chow (holding book) at the opening of the Penang Digital Economy Summit 2025 at G Hotel Gurney. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star
The plan is built on four core pillars – digital government, digital economy, digital society and digital foundation – each with strategic initiatives to empower Penang's businesses, communities and individuals.
Chow also emphasised the need for Penang to diversify its economy in a volatile global landscape, citing the reassertion of 'America First' policies and the use of tariffs as geopolitical tools.
The DEMP, he said, was a vital tool to ensure that the state was not overly reliant on any single sector or global power.
The plan also aligns with the Penang2030 vision and 13th Malaysia Plan's focus on inclusivity and readiness for an ageing population.
The DEMP builds upon the success of the previous Digital Transformation Master Plan (DTMP) 2021-2023, which successfully completed or initiated over 60% of its 21 initiatives.
These included the #Dah Digital programme, which boosted digital literacy for 18,500 residents, and Penang Connectivity Master Plan, which improved Internet access across the state.
The prior plan also saw the establishment of Digital Penang as a hub for data, innovation and smart governance.
The recent summit, a collaborative event organised by Digital Penang and supported by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), attracted some 300 participants from over 50 corporate and public sector organisations.
Digital Penang chief executive officer (CEO) Ng Kwang Ming said the event was designed to strengthen Penang's role as a digital economy hub by fostering cross-sector collaboration.
Key sessions focused on investment opportunities, start-up growth, education and social impact initiatives aimed at enhancing community services and non-governmental organisation outreach through digital accessibility.
The summit, free and open to the public, also featured an exhibition and panel sessions.
Present were prominent figures like the chief executive officers of MDEC Anuar Fariz Fadzil, InvestPenang's Datuk Loo Lee Lian and Cradle Fund Group's Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke.
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