GEORGE TOWN – The government needs to pay more attention to the plight of the disabled and senior citizens, including by assisting them to designated polling stations.
Non-governmental organisation Agecope president Santok Singh said specific voting stations or even mobile counters could be employed to better serve those in need.
“The new government needs to review certain policies to better assist the disabled and aged communities.
“For one, the authorities must stop treating the communities as being unproductive,” he said when met at a polling station here today.
Santok said more efforts were also needed to help encourage those from these communities to come out and vote.
This, he said, applied especially to those living in special homes and old folks’ homes.
He said Malaysia was an ageing society and by 2030, about 15% of the working population would be above 60 years old.
“With this, we can expect more social problems, especially when it comes to caring for the aged, while it will also be difficult to provide adequate care to those from the disabled community. It will be tougher for those suffering from mental issues as well,” he said. – The Vibes, November 19, 2022