Senior Citizens Bill must be prioritised, says coalition on ageing
KUALA LUMPUR: The Senior Citizens Bill, which has long been overdue, must be given priority and tabled for debate as soon as possible, said the Malaysian Coalition on Ageing.
Coalition chairman Cheah Tuck Wing said while existing laws protect women and children, there is still no specific legislation aimed at safeguarding the rights and welfare of senior citizens.
"The population of people aged 65 and above is rapidly rising, expected to reach 15 per cent by 2040. This means our country will become an aged nation, yet many measures, including legislation to protect them, are still not in place," he said when contacted today.
He added the coalition fully supported the Malaysian Bar's call for the government to immediately table the bill to protect Malaysia's ageing population.
He added government hospitals have reported many cases where families admit their elderly relatives and then disappear.
Hospital Kuala Lumpur, for example, recorded 358 abandonment cases in 2023 and 166 cases up until May last year, he said.
"Hence, the proposed bill, which includes legal action against adult children who neglect their parents, is essential in restoring a sense of filial responsibility. The bill must be comprehensive, with care-centric supporting programmes to address the real-life challenges faced by caregivers," he said.
He added financial hardship and the strain of 24-hour caregiving often lead to family conflicts, which could be a driving factor behind many abandonment cases.
As such, he said the government must implement care centric supporting services to alleviate the hardship faced by filial caregivers.
"Firstly, special financial support must be given to caregivers from B40 families and retirees in the M40 group who are taking care of them elderly parents with moderate to severe health problems.
"Second, public healthcare and trained manpower. Specialists in geriatric medicine, rehabilitation facilities and welfare programmes for elderly must be upgraded. Currently, we only have 67 geriatric specialists in hospitals and private practice and the ratio is one doctor to 40,000 individuals above 65 years old.
"Thirdly, there must be close collaboration between the government and non-governmental organisations in the community to provide support for family members with elderly care responsibilities.
"Community based services could focus on providing help and support to caregivers either through daycare centers or home visits by nurse and health aides."
Cheah said the successful Senior Citizens Activity Centres, established by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in partnership with other government agencies and the non-governmental organisations, should serve as a model for developing community-based care institutions in selected districts.
One such area is Lubok Antu in Sarawak, which has the highest percentage of citizens aged 65 and above in Malaysia.
"It is imperative that the government implement strategies to address the problem of elderly abandonment, especially given the limited number of beds available at the 10 federally funded old folks' homes and two homes for the chronically ill in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the five state-funded old folks' homes in the Borneo states," he added.
Earlier today, the Malaysian Bar called on the government to urgently table the bill to safeguard the country's ageing population.
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