KUCHING: The introduction of the Senior Citizens Bill is timely because of the increasing mistreatment of the elderly cases in the country, said a senior lecturer at Universiti Sarawak Malaysia (UNIMAS) Dr Lucy Sebli Seidelson.
She pointed out that the Bill, which would be tabled in parliament next year, was for the current government to tackle issues regarding the wellbeing and the treatment of the elderly in the country.
Lucy noted that many young working adults with families depended on the government, private sector or NGOs to look after their ageing parents for them.
“It is time to make it compulsory for these children to take care of their parents and reduce their dependency on the government.
The senior lecturer from the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) also said there had been many cases where parents were abandoned, neglected and abused by those entrusted to look after them.
“The responsibility of looking after one’s parents should not rest upon the state. Therefore, the introduction of this bill is essential to reduce the dependency on the state and also to hold those entrusted to look after the elderly accountable.
“In my opinion, it is about time such a bill is introduced as I feel it is a reasonable thing to do for children to start taking care of their parents.
“Economically, it will reduce society’s dependency on the government. For those who can afford it, but are not able to look after their parents around the clock, they then have the options to hire qualified carers.
For those unable to afford it, the government will provide assistance,” she explained.
From the social aspect, she said it would force the children to be accountable and responsible for taking care of their own parents.
In addition, it is the responsibility of adult children to care for their elderly parents and they have to prepare for this task their entire life.
“As people grow old, they face biological, psychological and social challenges and children should pay attention to these challenges when their parents become old.
“However, children may forget to care for their parents due to difficult economic and social conditions, as well as the influence of consumerism and commercialisation in society.
“These values can overshadow important moral values such as love and respect, making it easy for children to neglect their parents’ needs.
“The Malaysian government has worked together with the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve the facilities and services so that the elderly can continue to live dignified lives independently,” said Lucy.
Lucy said Malaysia had already qualified as an ageing nation because of its lower fertility rate and increases in life expectancy.
More than eight per cent of Malaysia’s population in 2010 were actually the elderly, aged 60 and above (Department of Statistics (DOS), 2011), she added.
“Based on the estimation made by DOS, those aged 60 to 74 and above will increase to 4.5 million in 2040, from 1.8 million in 2010, a 2.5 times increase.
“Meanwhile, those aged 75 and above are also estimated to increase from 0.5 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2040, a 4 times increment from 2010.
“With this trend of continued increment, by 2030, Malaysia is set to become an ageing nation with 15% of its population being 60 years old and above,” said Lucy.
She pointed out that one of the major issues faced by ageing nations was the increasing need for support from family members, the community and most of all, the government.
