KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin has called on the government to establish a dedicated Ministry for Senior Citizens, warning that Malaysia is still unprepared to face the challenges of an ageing population.
Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat today, he noted that Malaysia does not have a specific body to address senior citizens’ issues despite the country’s demographic changes.
“Some young people marry late, while others choose not to marry at all, and as a result, Malaysia’s reproductive rate is no longer at replacement level,” he said.
“Malaysia has a Youth and Sports Ministry, but we do not yet have a dedicated ministry for senior citizens to specifically address ageing issues,” he added.
Sim then asked Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan to explain what measures are being taken to prepare for the ageing population, particularly in healthcare, welfare, retirement savings and other areas affecting the elderly.
In response, Amir Hamzah said that although there is no dedicated ministry, various government agencies are already managing different aspects of ageing policy, including economic matters, social protection, employment, healthcare and long-term care.
He said the government has outlined strategies under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) to address the issue.
“These include expanding long-term care so that elderly citizens can be looked after at home rather than in nursing homes, encouraging older individuals to remain active in the labour market including through part-time work, and strengthening fiscal and social protection by improving financial support while also promoting more community engagement to keep the elderly connected to society,” he added.
Amir Hamzah also said the government is reviewing retirement savings management, with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) proposing a system that allows partial withdrawals upon retirement while ensuring the balance is paid out monthly to guarantee sufficient income throughout old age.
