The above interview was conducted on 18 February and published today in The Star. If you don't have a copy of the papers, you can click here to read the article. Unfortunately, the full story is only available in the print edition.
I hope some of the issues raised in the interview gets the attention of policy-makers. It's about time. Australia has a Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mr Mark Butler. Singapore has a Minister of Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong, who is also Minister in charge of Ageing Issues.
When will the government here appoint a Minister for Ageing? The number of people aged 60 years and above will hit 10% by 2020. That's when Malaysia will become an ageing country, according to UN's definition.
Is the government waiting till the percentage goes higher before taking a serious look into the needs of the elderly? Giving a one-off sum of RM500 to eligible senior citizens brings only temporary relief. So much more needs to be done to help at-risk seniors, including those in the middle income group.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
TIME WE HAD A MINISTER FOR AGEING IN MALAYSIA
Posted on 6:39 AM by Unknown
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