A major, enterprising property developer is already capitalising on Malaysia’s growing ageing population.
Butterworth is targeted to provide housing with medical and healthcare services – all of which come with a price tag, catering for those senior citizens who can afford it of course.
The Statistics Department has predicted that the country may become an ageing nation by 2030, with people aged 60 years and over surpassing 15% of the working population.
Hence one can expect more such property developers taking advantage of the acute, growing need for retirement homes and services.
But the government needs to step in with a master plan sooner.
Leaving housing and the much-needed elder care services to market forces and businesses will create major social problems.
Chasing after the rising senior citizen “villages” being developed by enterprising developers will generate a widening gap between the haves and have-nots.
The elders’ working children will be burdened financially in buying such properties to provide the necessary safety and care for their ageing parents.
Monitoring and ensuring strict compliance to healthcare standards in such properties can loom into a sickening problem given the track record of property developers in the country.
The government needs to step in fast and not leave the planning and catering for the fast-growing needs of Malaysia’s ageing population to profit-making and profiteering market forces.
We need the government’s direct and creative involvement in creating retirement villages for senior citizens all across the country.
The manpower needs, the healthcare staffing – from caregivers to nursing services, and medical needs must be addressed in a holistic manner.
The failure of past governments has already led to an acute shortage and expensive – if not unaffordable, caregiving services in the country today.
The private nursing and elderly care homes have also left much to be desired while making it unaffordable for many B40 and even lower middle-class families.
With hardly a decade from now, the country is bound to be grappling with yet another failed national problem if the government of the day does not give top priority to the rising needs of the ageing population.
Let us hope that Malaysia can showcase to the world decent and applaudable retirement villages that are affordable and meet global standards.
If Japan and several other nations can do it right, so can we.
It is time to not let providing care for senior citizens go the way of the “sunrise” private healthcare businesses or the privatised housing industry.
The social consequences will be irreversible if there is no significant, game-changing action by the government. – The Vibes, December 27, 2022
J.D. Lovrenciear reads The Vibes
