Malaysia towards an ageing country

Abstract

An increase in the number of the elderly population (aged 60 and above) is a global phenomenon, specifically in the developed and developing countries. This is due to development in terms of socioeconomic status such as improved education, healthcare, employment, increasing life expectancy, as well as decreasing fertility and mortality rate of these countries. In fact, Malaysia also has had an increase in population growth and will become an ageing country by 2030. Statistics show that there is an increase in the number of elders aged 60 and above, while the percentage of the young people aged 14 and below decreases over the years. The growing number of elders results in socioeconomic and political issues in these countries due to healthcare costs, as well as economic, physical, and social support from family members, community and policymakers in terms of living arrangements. This article will discuss about some policies and planning with regards to the elders, but the author shall focus on policies and planning related elderly support from their family, especially from the children. This article secondary sources such as previous studies, statistical data on the improvement of the elders, newspapers and official websites. It is aimed to help the Malaysian government in reviewing the current policies and further focus on strategies and plans that require the children to support their elders and prevent the issue of elderly neglect as being highlighted in the news.

Elderly Education and Lifelong Learning: Legal and Shariah Perspectives

“…Amongst the activities lead by several agencies such as Institute of Gerontology, Community Colleges, Institute for Rural Advancement (INFRA), Division of Community Development (KEMAS), Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Open University Malaysia (OUM) and Wawasan Open University are summarised below: On top of that, there is a specific medium initiated by the government led by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) which aim to encourage proactive and active ageing amongst elderly known as PAWE. The involvement of elderly in PAWE is one of the ways to prevent the senior citizens from feeling isolated and experiencing empty nest syndrome (Md Nor & Ghazali, 2021). Nevertheless, there are still rooms for improvement as it was reported in a study conducted in PAWE in Pahang that there are some encounters such as lack of fluency in Quran recitation, poor writing skills, vision and hearing impairments which may hinder them from learning effectively (Mokhtar et al, 2022).…”

Immunophenotypic Expression and its Association with Prognostic Factors, Clinical Stages, and Clinical Profiles in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Plasma Cell Myeloma: Insights from Two Tertiary Care Centers

“…However, Malaysia is experiencing a rise in population growth and is projected to become an aging country by 2030. Statistics indicate a rise in the elderly population aged 60 and above, accompanied by a decline in the percentage of individuals aged 14 and below over time 5 . Almost all PCM cases experience relapse and refractory phases after achieving higher rates of complete remission, which appear as the most challenging part of treating PSM disease and consume a higher financial burden 6 .…”

Social support and associated factors among family caregivers of older people in North-East Peninsular Malaysia

“…By the year 2030, Malaysia’s older population will have increased by 15%, thereby increasing the needs of the aged population simultaneously (Nor & Ghazali, 2021 ). With increasing life expectancy and aging populations, the global prevalence of chronic diseases and the requirement for long-term care for people with comorbidities are rising.…”