Why Malaysia is right to reject age-based driving rules

 

NSTP file pic, for illustration purposes only. AI-generated image.

IT'S good to know that the government has dismissed ageism as grounds for barring senior citizens above 70 from driving and, by that implication, working.

Conversely, the government would have more reason to restrict certain other road users aged between 16 and 40, considering that this age group was involved in 70 per cent of highway accidents, compared with only 3.5 per cent for those aged above 70, between 2020 and 2025.

The issue arose after the government publicly brushed aside inquiries on whether it would impose mandatory medical checks on motorists above 70 before renewal of their driving licences.

In asserting the government's official position, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah pointed to a Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) study that found no conclusive evidence that an age-based policy would significantly reduce road accidents.

Any individual or corporation that decides people of a certain age are "hopeless" may be categorised together as those guilty of racism or sexism. Likewise, younger citizens are sometimes unfairly stereotyped as "lazy" or "unreliable".

Still, ageism can permeate into institutional policies and systemic practices, such as imposing a mandatory retirement age, imposing restricted access to medical treatment and hiring practices that favour younger applicants.

Ageism leads to psychological and physiological discrimination that reduces life satisfaction and shortens lifespans. Low self-esteem, isolation and worsening mental and physical health may be the consequences.

The government rightly rejects ageism because mandating it carries serious real-life consequences. Nevertheless, senior citizens do become infirm as they age but it should be tackled on a case-by-case, evidence-based basis — not driven by perception or isolated incidents. The government's stance should also extend to stop blanket medical checks based on age.

A targeted system identifying genuinely at-risk drivers or workers, regardless of age, is the better approach, based on diagnosed medical conditions, repeated serious traffic offences or doctors' recommendations.

Age is not a diagnosis, mobility is linked to seniors' quality of life and independence. Instead, senior citizens should be encouraged to voluntarily undergo health screenings without facing discriminatory barriers.

Ageism is a global problem: East Asian companies are fond of forcibly retiring older workers from corporate hierarchies. The West is just as bad as they enforce wage gaps, biased hiring processes and elderly care neglect.

Poor elderly wellbeing is mostly found in developing nations where they suffer from income insecurity and poor healthcare access. With no reliable pension systems or legal protection against abuse, the elderly, particularly widows, are often pushed into poverty and social marginalisation.

Now that the ageism bias against the elderly from driving has been debunked, elderly care should be placed on the right footing without any form of debased policies. - NST