PENANG Island City Council (MBPP) needs to change its delivery system as the state will be listed as an aged society state by 2040 where up to 19% of its population would be 65 and above.
Under the United Nations definition, there are three phases to classify an ageing society.
They are an ageing society if the population numbers are seven to 13%; aged society (14 to 19%) and matured aged (20% and above).
Currently, Penang falls into an ageing society stage where over seven per cent of its population is now aged 65 and above.
MBPP through its president and island's Lord Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran has taken cognisance of this challenging statistic and has directed the council to be prepared to fine-tune its social amenities and policies.
The council has since collaborated with the Penang Women Development Council and the Malaysian Healthy Aging Society to develop effective policies and an action plan.
MBPP now has listed eight domains which will be part of its action plan to become friendly to senior citizens.
Its town and country planning officer Rabiatul Adawiyah Rohaimi told the media that MBPP won the senior citizen's welfare award from the Housing and Local Government Ministry recently.
"We are one of the few local governments with an action plan to be a senior citizen-friendly local authority," she said.
Rabiatul revealed that the eight domains are: public spaces and buildings, public transport, housing, social activities, inculcating a social culture of old-aged living, jobs creation, communication and support services.
For the public spaces and buildings, MBPP has identified several areas such as community parks which will be upgraded to allow senior citizens easier access.
The parks already or in the process of upgrading are at Sungai Ara, Bukit Jambul, Taman Jajar Esplanade, Taman Lintang Penara and Taman Lengkok P. Ramlee.
The Heritage Conservation Department will also upgrade the interior parts of City Hall and its rental space to make it aged and disabled-friendly.
This includes the back lanes from Sri Bahari to Argyll Road to ensure the seniors have secured pedestrian walkways.
On public transport, the aged and disabled-friendly features would also be installed in 252 stage buses of Rapid Penang by year-end, said Rabiatul.
"We plan to install more features from time to time in the public buses with our partner Rapid Penang," she added.
accommodation friendly for the old aged and disabled
As for housing, Rabiatul said that accommodation friendly for the old aged and disabled are now part of the community housing schemes under the council and it would be extended to housing projects led by the private sector.
As for social activities, MBPP will increase its integration with senior citizen organisations and rights groups.
To inculcate a social culture for ageing, Rabiatul said that there was a need to ensure that there are social amenities to entice the old to remain fit and to organise joint activities for children, adults and senior citizens to participate together.
Exercise activities which incorporate slower paces would also be held.
Senior citizen living hubs are now created at the Rose Charities Centre, an MBPP senior citizen activity centre in Air Itam, in public civil society buildings and in other areas.
These activity centres would be done with help from the MBPP's public health division.
MBPP will also encourage local employers to offer suitable jobs to senior citizens, while also sparking volunteerism among them so they can be active in old age.
Among its proposals was to allow cleaning contracts to senior citizens living in the community housing scheme under MBPP, which it hopes can also spill over to the other housing schemes under the private sector.
As for communications, Rabiatul said that community engagement efforts would be done through collaboration with the help of the media and non-governmental organisations, so the community understands the definition of an aged society.
"There would also be many public campaigns on this matter."
As for support services, Rabiatul said that each division under the council will assist the main MBPP body to help realise meeting the goals under an aged state.
It is challenging to unveil an action plan as there were no previous references.
But the reality is that the state and MBPP must prepare for the aged society status, which will come within the next 16 - years.
It is just within a decade or more, which means much work is needed to prepare society to endure and face up to the realities of old-aged living, said Rabiatul.
The action plan also needs to be fine-tuned to cope with future challenges, she said. - October 23, 2024.
