KUCHING: DAP’s Bandar Kuching candidate Dr Kelvin Yii has pledged to push for an elder care policy in parliament in light of an ageing population.
He said this would be one of the main policies he would be pushing for if Pakatan Harapan (PH) were to be given the mandate to rule at federal level.
He said inter-ministerial collaboration is urgently needed to tackle Malaysia’s ageing population, especially for Bandar Kuching.
“United Nations statistics show that 17 per cent of Malaysia’s population will be aged 65 and above by 2045. More than 20 per cent of the Malaysian population will be older than 65 by 2056, up from seven per cent in 2020, according to the World Bank.
“While a growing metropolitan, Bandar Kuching is an ageing community too with 32 per cent of voters aged 61 and above.
“In the past four years serving Sarawak’s capital, I often received calls from elderly constituents living alone asking for help as they have no one to go to.
“That is why the government must assist the elders to live with dignity and independently while getting sufficient healthcare support,” he said during a joint conference held at DAP Sarawak headquarters on Today (Nov 6).
Explaining, he said that without systemic intervention, the impact of an ageing population would be enormous – from a decline in productivity and economic growth to heightened pressure on public spending programmes, such as health care and pensions.
“With the realities of an ageing nation, where an increased need for care is inevitable, this could be turned into an economic asset rather than a burden with the right policies in place.
“This includes incorporating a ‘care economy’ to train carers, and to provide subsidised care and carer allowances so that Malaysians are not forced to choose between work and caring for their elderly parents.
“This also seeks to professionalise the caregiving sector, provide support and allowances for caregivers, as well as tax incentives for employers of caregivers,” he said.
Furthermore, Yii pointed out that it can also ensure better female participation in the workforce, considering they were often made to be informal caregivers to their parents and children.
“More and more women are now breadwinners of the family and shouldering more responsibilities since the pandemic hit. Such policy can allow a more flexible workforce for women and young families, which will help to increase productivity.
“No one should ever be put in that position where they must make a choice between working and caring for their parents.
“That is why a clear policy direction and plan must be put in place and tabled in parliament and this is something PH and I will be pushing for in parliament to address the ageing society in Bandar Kuching and Malaysia as a whole,” he said.
