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New Straits Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Bar wants Senior Citizens Bill immediately to protect Malaysia's ageing population
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar wants the government to immediately table a Senior Citizens Bill to protect Malaysia's ageing population. Its president, Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab, said such a bill must be truly effective and must tackle the root causes of neglect, abuse, and systemic marginalisation faced by our ageing population. "The Malaysian Bar stands ready to contribute its legal expertise and insights to ensure that this legislation is effectively and efficiently enacted, for the benefit of all Malaysians," he said in a statement. Ezri said Malaysia was at a critical juncture in its demographic shift towards an ageing population. He cited Malaysian Statistics Department (DOSM) projections that the percentage of citizens aged 65 and above will rise from 8.1 per cent in 2024 to 14.5 per cent by 2040, saying this would place unprecedented demands on the nation's care system. "This demographic transformation presents Malaysia with an urgent and important opportunity to establish a holistic and comprehensive legal and policy framework that will guarantee the protection, welfare and dignity of our senior citizens for generations to come. "The current retirement financial preparedness of Malaysians presents significant challenges that require the immediate attention of our legislative and policy makers. "According to the Employees Provident Fund, 58 per cent of its 54-year-old members have less than RM100,000 in their savings — below the RM240,000 needed to sustain a modest monthly income of RM1,000 for 20 years, post retirement. "This financial gap, combined with rising caregiving costs, underscores the importance of establishing robust legal protection and support systems to ensure elderly Malaysians can age with dignity, security, and quality of life. "We thus welcome and applaud the government's efforts to look into increasing the retirement age from 60 to 65, allowing senior individuals who are keen and capable to continue their valuable contributions to the workforce. "The Malaysian Bar recognises the significant effort and work undertaken by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in developing the Senior Citizens Bill, as announced in mid-2024. "We understand that comprehensive legislation requires careful consideration and thorough preparation. "Therefore, we commend (the ministry's) reported progress on the Senior Citizens Bill, aimed at enhancing protection for Malaysia's ageing population, and we hope that our following analysis will be considered in the final draft of the bill." Ezri said the Malaysian Bar wants the government to incorporate a holistic, rights-based framework within the final draft of the Senior Citizens Bill, ensuring proactive and legally enforceable protection through several core provisions. The first, he said, was through codified rights and protections which are enforceable by law. These would guarantee senior citizens to healthcare, shelter, safety, financial protection and dignity, aligning with the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. Ezri said the bill must also include robust legal mechanisms to address emotional, physical and financial elder abuse, adding that proper support for victims and rehabilitative options for families must also be incorporated into the framework. Thirdly, he said, there must be oversight through a statutory council, suggesting that a National Commission for Senior Citizens be set up to oversee the implementation of the bill and ensure compliance with other relevant laws or policies. Ezri said there must also be comprehensive community and care support, adding that senior citizens should also be provided with dedicated legal aid for wills, disputes, and protection from exploitation, alongside fair pensions and financial assistance to secure their welfare. He said the Bar also recommended mandatory regulation of elderly care homes, meaning they would have to be licensed, audited and held accountable for the treatment and welfare of their residents. "Malaysia currently has 393 registered elderly care centres and 26 nursing homes, with estimates indicating over 700 unregistered facilities. "Regulation and licensing are crucial to ensuring the safety and dignity of seniors residing in these institutions," he said. Finally, Ezri said the bill must address the challenges of isolation, depression, and dementia through accessible mental health services and community engagement programmes. "Malaysia has an excellent opportunity to leverage gerontechnology — technology specifically designed for senior citizens — to enhance independent living, improve mental health, and support families with caregiving responsibilities. "We can learn from the successful implementation of elderly care in Singapore and Japan, and harness the opportunity to develop innovative and creative solutions, such as wearable health devices, telehealth services, and smart home systems. "The Malaysian Bar reiterates that the rights and welfare of senior citizens must be safeguarded through legislation informed by international best practices. "Jurisdictions such as Canada and South Korea have demonstrated that a statutory framework for senior citizens' welfare can be transformative, not just in providing protection for the elderly, but also in fostering dignity and inclusion." Canada, said Ezri, provides comprehensive support for its senior population, offering income security programmes, initiatives designed to keep seniors active. Meanwhile, he said South Korea established an all-inclusive Long-Term Care Insurance system designed to ensure the well-being of older people experiencing physical limitations or geriatric conditions, simultaneously alleviating the burden borne by their families.
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'That game is going to haunt me' but 'nothing but pride' after fightback
We asked for your thoughts after Paris St-Germain knocked Aston Villa out of the Champions League quarter-finals on are some of your replies:Ian: Wow! What a great performance from the Villa boys. I'm so proud of them. A brilliant second half and if it weren't for their goalkeeper, we would have definitely taken it to extra time and could have even won it. I think Ollie Watkins should have come on sooner but I cannot complain really. This is where we belong. In Unai, we trust. Keep the We had chances to win it but we just couldn't take enough of them. It was a massive second-half effort though. The Ezri Konsa header, the Youri Tielemans header, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio's one on ones, and then Ian Maatsen at the death. As amazing as the effort was, that game is going to haunt me for a long Oh Ezri, oh Ezri - Villa immortality awaited you. Head up, son, because you're one of the best central defenders in Europe and you should be proud of what you achieved. Now let's win the FA Fantastic. This is a team that isn't fully developed so there is plenty more to come. Next season is going to be exciting for everyone at the Villa, as long as we make the right signings. Rashford needs to stay at all Yes, there were mistakes and errors but this is no time for criticism. From all of the adversity, Villa were immense. I'm so proud of the fight and resilience shown. Most of all, thank you to Unai Emery and the team for a brilliant Champions League So proud. That game could've gone either way. It says a lot that we are disappointed to not be in a Champions League semi-final... actually let that sink in!Andy: I feel nothing but pride as a Villa fan. Just being in the Champions League was a 'pinch me' moment. We have gone unbeaten at home in the tournament and pushed PSG, who some are calling the best team in Europe right now, to a 5-4 aggregate score over two legs of a quarter-final. What progress from a side that was in the Championship not so long ago. The performances are breath-taking and something I never thought I'd see as a Villa fan.
The Guardian
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The best science fiction, fantasy and horror
Old Soul by Susan Barker (Fig Tree, £16.99)A chance encounter between two travellers who've missed their flight reveals a strange connection: each is haunted by an unexplained death. Although Jake's best friend Lena died in London a decade ago, while Mariko's twin brother died more recently in Japan, the circumstances were similar. In both, a rare physical condition that should have been known since birth was only found postmortem. Both had been recently involved with a female photographer, a European in her 30s or 40s, who disappeared soon after the death. Jake suspects it was the same woman and is determined to track her down. Through the testimony of others, the mystery deepens, as the story moves back and forth in time, from Japan to Germany, from rural Wales to the artistic circles of 80s New York, and Jake assembles a picture of a seemingly ageless woman behind a series of inexplicable deaths. An immersive, stunningly weird tale that closes like a trap round the reader. Model Home by Rivers Solomon (Merky, £18.99)Can a house that's never been lived in before be haunted? Gender-fluid Ezri and their sisters carry scars from terrible experiences as the only Black family in a gated community in Dallas. The parents remain after their children are grown. When phone calls go unanswered, Ezri, now settled in London, fears the house has killed them, and must go back to Texas to confront the truth about the past. A disturbing, brilliantly twisty psychological horror exploring family dynamics, memory, gender identity and sexuality. Mother of Serpents by John R Gordon (Team Angelica, £13.99)The latest from the award-winning author has something of the feel of classic Stephen King. The set-up is traditional: married couple with a small child leave their familiar urban environment to relocate to a spooky old house on the edge of a strangely silent forest in rural Maine, where the little boy speaks of nocturnal visits from an 'owl lady' who warns of danger. But this is a same-sex marriage and the stay-at-home spouse is a Black poet who fears his husband will attribute his increasingly weird experiences to the return of an earlier psychotic break. The fully realised, believable main characters exist in the real world, and the strong writing and specificity of detail make for a gripping read, with a genuinely original monster. Symbiote by Michael Nayak (Angry Robot, £9.99)The author of this debut novel has worked at an Antarctic research station, and excels in capturing the wonder as well as the fear it inspires. The first volume of the Ice Plague Wars series opens with the arrival of Chinese scientists – one dead – at the American station. They are seeking refuge, but the US and China are at war, so they must be confined until a military authority is informed. And the Chinese have brought something incredibly dangerous with them: an infection spread by touch, triggered by extreme cold to ignite a murderous rage in the host. A grim, violent tale, as hard to resist as the rapidly evolving symbiote. Waterblack by Alex Pheby (Galley Beggar. £20)The conclusion to the Cities of the Weft trilogy begins some years before the events of the first book, introducing new characters and a fresh angle on the power struggle between the Master of Mordew and the Mistress of Malarkoi. The right of those magical god-like rulers to exist is contested by an Assembly with a different view of reality, gearing up for the Eighth Atheistic Crusade. Their chief target is Nathan Treeves, returned to a life-in-death as the Master of Waterblack, the underwater city of the dead. There is much to enjoy, but it doesn't work as well as the first two volumes, marred by occasions when the omniscient narrative voice becomes a hectoring bore, and the apocalyptic finish dribbles away into appendices.
