KUCHING: The state government will not neglect its senior citizens who are in need of help for various reasons.
According to Welfare, Community Well-Being, Women, Family and Children Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, for last January and February alone, the State Social Welfare Department (JKMS) gave more than RM14 million to more than 20,000 senior citizens.
Fatimah said the state spent RM14,896,280 on 21,881 (at a rate of RM350 per recipient) senior citizens under the old folk’s aid or Bantuan Orang Tua (BOT), or RM350
“The state gave them this aid to help solve or lighten the burden of the senior citizens with problems such as financial issues, mental health (loneliness/depression), sickness (diabetes, high blood, cholesterol), hearing loss, vision loss, social issues, psychological issues, family issues, transportation and environment challenges.
“According to Malaysia Statistics Department, Sarawak population projection in 2018 was 2.8 million whereby 7.3 per cent of the population were people who were 65 years and above,” she said when officiating at the Arts and Music Therapy programme at Hotel 56 here yesterday.
She said based on the projection by the United Nations, in 2030 Malaysia is expected to be an old country when citizens aged 60 years and above make up 15 per cent of the national population.
She said as far as Sarawak is concerned, three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) namely, Sarawak Gerontology and Geriatrics Society; Senior Citizens Activity Centre (Pawe); and Senior Citizens Service Centre (PPWE) have taken it upon themselves to help senior citizens with their wants and needs.
According to her, Pawe and PPWE oversee the management and control of the senior citizens’ activity centre.
Through the centre the senior citizens are taught to be independent and guided to collectively interact with the local community and society at large.
On the other hand, Sarawak Gerontology and Geriatrics Society focuses on the social aspects of growing older such as extending the mobility years and reducing the immobility years.
It seeks to help improve the quality of life of the senior citizens by imbibing in them knowledge related to medical, financial, social and other fields useful to growing older.
