KUCHING: A research is set to be undertaken next year on the state’s ageing population.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah revealed that the research would be conducted by a team from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.
“The research will be a continuation of a prior one on the same topic conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in 2005,” Fatimah told the media here yesterday.
She pointed out that based on a study done in 2015, 16 percent of the 3.29mil population would be made up of people aged 65 years and above by 2030.
“In total, there will be approximately 526,300 elderly persons in Sarawak by that year. A research will be done to evaluate our preparedness to face such situation.
“The research paper will focus on the isolation, monetary issues, housing and care, which are among the 22 concerns that were put forward by the ageing society,” she said.
Fatimah disclosed that among the objectives of the paper is to analyse trends in the sociodemographic structure and support ecosystem for the ageing population in Sarawak.
“We want to see how prepared we are in terms of the ecosystem of the ageing population holistically, not just the physical side of things.
“Secondly, the objective is to ascertain the issues of seamless ageing, including the extent of which these issues are challenging faced by the ageing population in Sarawak.
“This will determine the impact of the ageing process on the ageing population to their caregivers and families in the state.”
She said the research will also identify the expectations, including the extent of social roles and participation, social policies and support
infrastructure.
