Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to create more elderly activity centres in facing challenges of ageing nation

IPOH - The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is targeting to create more senior citizens activity centres (PAWE) nationwide, depending on the elderly population in the particular area, in facing the challenges of Ageing Nation by 2030.

Its deputy minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said with the increase in the number of PAWE, the elderly can continue to engage in activities, thereby producing healthy, active, productive, and positive senior citizens.

"Indirectly, the establishment of more PAWE can reduce the admission and dependence of senior citizens on charitable organisations,” she said when officiating at the opening ceremony of the national-level celebrations of Senior Citizens Day at the Casuarina Meru Convention Centre, here, on Sunday.

The celebration that carries the theme ‘Hak Warga Emas: Merentas Generasi’ (Elderly Rights: Across Generations) was also attended by State Women, Family, Social Welfare, Cooperative and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Salbiah Mohamed.

Meanwhile, Aiman Athirah said the ministry is currently expanding its strategic cooperation with government-linked companies to assist the government in providing services to the elderly.

She said one of the efforts to preserve the welfare of the target group in line with the ‘welfare is a shared responsibility’ concept is for the ministry’s strategic partners such as government agencies, the corporate sector, private companies, non-governmental agencies, and individuals, to implement corporate social responsibility programmes.

Aiman Athirah said the new direction for senior citizen services planned under the 12th Malaysia Plan such as the Senior Citizens Central Database and PAWE empowerment can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of the elderly in this country.

At the same time, she said the Senior Citizen Action Plan should be studied from time to time to ensure the continuation of a sustainable National Senior Citizen Policy.

"It is the government’s commitment towards creating self-reliant, dignified and respected senior citizens who can optimise their potential through healthy, positive, active and proactive ageing and supporting the improvement of the quality of life in the country’s development,” she said.

Meanwhile, the recipient of the Social Welfare Department’s Excellent Senior Citizen Volunteer award Yong Soo Len, 72 said she has been involved in volunteer activities for the past 30 years.

Yong who hails from Sungai Tinggi, Selangor is a retired teacher who volunteers as a home assistant and the assessor and verifier for the Malaysian Skills Certificate in Social Work.

The mother of three is also a committee member of the PAWE in Labis and the Teratak Sayangku Community Rehabilitation Organisation in Chaah, both in the Segamat district, Johor.

She received RM1,000, a trophy and a certificate, while Penang corporate figure Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yussof Latiff, who received the senior citizen special award, took home RM3,000, a trophy and a certificate.

Rembau PAWE in Negeri Sembilan received the excellence award under the senior citizen activity centre category, winning RM5,000, a trophy and a certificate. - BERNAMA