In advanced nations, govts take care of people from CRADLE TO GRAVE - in Malaysia it's the OPPOSITE

At the height of their youth and fame, the Beatles topped the charts with this song: "When I'm Sixty-Four" in 1967.

This is one of the first songs Paul McCartney wrote. He was only 16 then and yet the theme he wrote about was ageing. The song is sung by a young man to his lover, and is about his plans of growing old together with her.

Among the lines he wrote was, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?"

Well that's nearly half century ago but their lyric still haunts us. Our days are numbered. I'm going to be 66 in five months and my wife not far behind. How old are you before this song sets you thinking about retirement?

According to the 2010 population statistics, the proportion of population aged 65 years and over was 5.1% and is expected to triple to 15% by 2030. By 2050, senior citizens (65 years and above) are expected to be about 20.4% of the population, or more than four times higher than the 2010 level. Put it another way, one on five persons in Malaysia would be an aged person.

Cradle to grave

In the West, people don't usually need to think about such things or do something about it. The government takes care of them from cradle to grave. What about us in Malaysia? Who is going to look after the old?

In 1995, the Government formulated the National Policy for the Elderly aimed at "creating a society of elderly people who are contented and possess a high sense of self-worth and dignity, by optimizing their self-potential and ensuring that they enjoy every opportunity as well as care and protection as members of their family, society and nation."

Several action plans were initiated and several sub-committees formed to look into the various aspects related to ageing and the welfare of the elderly in Malaysia. They included: social and recreational, health, education and training, religion, housing and research. Then more sub-committees were formed. So what happened? Nothing!

Preparing a country to transit into an ageing population takes more than just forming committees and sub-committees. The question of social security takes priority. Surely the job belongs to both the EPF and Socso since they have been milking billions from the working population all these years. It doesn't take rocket science for them to formulate an old age benefit scheme for contributors. We are not asking for charity. It's our life-long contributions after all.

Then comes the question of a comprehensive policy for promoting the well-being of the elderly that takes into consideration geriatric health, social security, housing, environment that includes the family and community.

The Government Transformation Programme (GTP) under Najib has seven National Key Results Areas (NKRAs). None caters to an ageing population. But of late, the GTP guys have begun work on "Aged Care" which is still in its early stage.

The plan is to have a three-component scheme known as IRCC or Integrated Residential Care Centres. This comprise development of retirement villages or what is terms as "active ageing in place", home care (providing care in existing homes), and institutional care in the form of nursing and old folks homes. Yes, committees and sub-committees have been formed or "labs' as they are known in GTP and NKRA parlance.

Hopefully, all this will fall into place quick otherwise like the Beatles, we'll be singing "Will you still need me, will you still feed me/When I'm sixty-four?" – mysinchew.com