KUALA LUMPUR – DAP has high hopes to aid the increasingly large caregiver and ageing community in Malaysia through its National Care Economy and Ageing Community Preparedness Plan, dubbed “SiagaJaga” in brief.
The plan, which includes agendas and action proposals for caregivers, care receivers and institutions, is part of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) component party’s manifesto for the upcoming 15th general election (GE15).
Pointing out the correlation between an ageing community and the heightened need for caregivers, party manifesto committee member Howard Lee asserted that caregivers should not have to face difficulties when taking care of elderly people.
“In today’s ever challenging economic state, carrying out the duty of elderly care might be a barrier in one’s career advancements,” said Lee, who is also the Pasir Pinji assemblyman, during a press conference at DAP’s headquarters here today.
“They (caregivers) should not be forced to choose between continuing their careers or looking after aged family members.”
The SiagaJaga plan will see allowances being provided for caregivers who have left the workforce to care for relatives, while incentives will be offered to employers who hire and retrain senior citizens to remain active and contribute to productivity.
“Caregiving facilities will also be made a requirement for development proposals to ensure that less people are cornered into abandoning their careers,” Lee said.
Noting that the committee will be presenting the SiagaJaga plan to the PH presidential council, he also challenged other political parties to take up the discussion on the care economy, claiming that affected groups left unattended are a “policy blindspot”.
“The adult population of Malaysia is 22 million, and over 5.1% of adults must act as informal caregivers,” he said.
“It is also expected that 17% of Malaysians will be aged 65 years old and above.
“All these people are voters. If we do not enforce a plan to guarantee their wellbeing, this shows a blindspot in our national policies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh highlighted that the plan will encourage female participation in the workforce, as the alternative forms of care provided will allow them to continue their professional careers instead of resigning to be a stay-at-home caregiver.
“A separate agency should also be established specifically to look after matters relating to the aged community,” she said.
“This is because the Social Welfare Department is also overloaded right now, as it oversees children, the disabled community as well as the elderly.”
Besides that, DAP deputy secretary-general Liew Chin Tong stressed that GE15 should not just revolve around which political personality will contest in which parliamentary seat.
“The coming election should not just be about who forms the government, but also about what agenda we carry and how we can bring the nation forward in this climate of global crisis,” said Liew, who is also DAP election director.
“SiagaJaga intends to kickstart a debate on how we approach caregivers and caretakers…It is time for us to think (the issue) through as a society.” – The Vibes, September 28, 2022
