EVERY responsible party and stakeholder must look at the concept of healthy ageing intelligently and holistically to successfully navigate the challenges of maintaining a good quality of life in an ageing nation, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Chow said the country was expected to be an ageing nation by 2030.
“The number of senior citizens (above 60 years old) is expected to increase drastically to 5.3 million in the next 10 years.
“In 2020, there are 3.7 million senior citizens representing 7% of the population in the country, and it is expected to increase by 15.3%, to 5.3 million in 2030.
“And this demographic pattern appears to be irreversible, and it will affect the state as well.
“So, if we are to successfully navigate the challenges of maintaining a good quality of life in an ageing nation, we need to, immediately, intelligently, and holistically, adopt the concept of healthy ageing.
“We must start planning because any further delay in allocating resources for this goal will lead to it slipping further beyond our grasp,” Chow said in his speech during the opening ceremony of the 10th Malaysian Hybrid Conference on Healthy Ageing (10th MCHA) at Bayview Hotel George Town today.
Also present were state Social Development and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Chong Eng, 10th MCHA organising chairman Datuk Dr N. Ganabaskaran and Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) president Prof Dr Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman.
Chow added that everyone has fears and dreams.
“Each person is a contributing member of the community. Healthy ageing, therefore, is not viewed solely as the physical ageing of the body.
“It covers all aspects of the individual such as mentally, nutritionally, socially, environmentally, intellectually, financially, technologically, and spiritually. It also involves traditional and complementary medicines,” he said.
According to Chow, the state government had always been giving special attention to the senior citizens in Penang.
“The state government agency, Digital Penang, had undertaken the task in carrying out the ‘Digital Coach Scheme’ and the ‘Digital Promoter Scheme’ in aid of the elderly.
“Introducing technological solutions and assisting the elder generation in understanding and adopting modern technology will allow them to remain productive.
“The state government provided the elderly community a platform to practise, ask questions, make mistakes and most importantly, to learn,” he said.
Not just that, Chow said the Penang government had also introduced the Senior Citizen Appreciation programme or better known as the i-Sejahtera programme back in 2008.
“Through this programme, we gave RM100 annually to each senior citizen aged 60 and above before increasing it to RM200 this year which will benefit a total of 177,209 senior citizens at a cost of RM35.44 million.
“These show how much we care for the elderly in the state,” added Chow.
Speaking about the conference, Dr Ganabaskaran said the 10th MCHA was a hybrid conference that would be held from today until March 17.
“The 10th MCHA will study how such a successful scheme for retirees is funded in other countries and it is attended by more than 1,000 delegates physically and virtually.
“The conference is organised by the MHAS in collaboration with the Penang government and is themed ‘Holistic Healthy Ageing: 10 Pillars to Living Longer, Healthier and Better’.
“The conference also will see as many as 90 international and regional experts speak on various aspects of ageing in its three-day scientific programme,” he said.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud