KUCHING: Living in the state capital, where there are roads, schools, hospitals, stable internet connection as well as various eateries, retail and entertainment outlets – what else do the city folks wish for in Kuching?
A mother in her 30s, who requested anonymity, hopes there will be more clean public toilets, parks, playgrounds and community spaces – so that the elderly parents have a place to hang out while the young children can have fun.
Juggling between work as a private sector employee and family, she said, is already not an easy task. At the same time, she wants to ensure her parents and children can enjoy healthy meals and an active lifestyle.
“I hope to see more clean public toilets, parks and playgrounds – and if possible community spaces in Kuching – where we can have some family-oriented events on the weekends or for us to learn a new hobby,” she said.
It was just too tiring for her to think or plan for creative and fun activities for her family members after having to work from Monday to Friday.
“So, I hope we can have more options on where to go on weekends, yet won’t burn a hole in my pocket,” she said.
Apart from that, she hoped that there will be more affordable and healthy meals or options available in town.
Meanwhile, Kelvin Wan, the founder of Hope Place Kuching, an organisation that has been helping and sending food aid to underprivileged people said it is hoped that there will be more places to stay for the senior citizens, who are not living with their families.
Based on his experience, helping people around Kuching for more than a decade, he said most of their elderly recipients are usually do not have any children as well as retirement plans or savings, thus nobody takes care of them.
He said there were also senior citizens who refused to stay with their children as they did not want to be a burden to their children who also had their own families. So, they rather live on their own.
Sadly, he said, there were also a handful of them, who were abandoned by their children.
Currently, he said, there are 35 elderly recipients under the list of his organisation in Kuching.
Apart from providing a place for them to stay, Wan said, easy access to quality healthcare services are equally important.
Dr Kelvin Yii (DAP), who is defending his Bandar Kuching parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15), noted that his constituency is an ageing community, with 32 per cent of voters aged 61 years and above.
He recently said that he often receives calls from elderly constituents who are living alone asking for help as they have no one to go to.
Thus, he wants the government to assist the elderly to live with dignity and independently while getting sufficient health care support.
Noticing women were often made to be informal caregivers to their parents and children, he said, a policy needs to be enforced to allow 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.”
In the GE14, Dr Yii, as the first-time candidate, won the Bandar Kuching seat with an impressive majority of 35,973 votes against Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Kho Teck Wan.
He is now facing two challengers; namely Tay Tze Kok of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Voon Lee Shan of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK).
