SHAH ALAM, Oct 9 - The government will design a Senior Citizens Bill to address neglect and strengthen the country’s elderly care ecosystem, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced when tabling Budget 2027 in Parliament today.
He said this is in preparation for Malaysia to reach ageing population status.
Anwar added the service tax rate for senior citizen care services will also be reduced from 8 per cent to 6 per cent, while full exemption will be provided for care fees up to RM96,000 per year.
“More than RM40 million will be allocated through HRD Corp to train 8,000 individuals and create job opportunities in this (care) field,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Anwar said aid for senior citizens will also be increased to RM1.3 billion, benefitting nearly 200,000 recipients, while Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members who reach the age of 55 and 60 may opt in for the i-Emas scheme to receive monthly withdrawals, allowing the balance to continue to generate dividends.
Other initiatives for the vulnerable groups are as follows:
Allocation for 300,000 people with disabilities increased to RM1.5 billion
Monthly aid for the care of bedridden disabled people and chronically ill patients increased from RM500 to RM600
Income threshold for disabled workers’ allowance increased from RM1,700 to RM2,000
Monthly allowance for students with special needs to be increased from RM150 to RM200, benefiting 150,000 students, including children with autism
Teaching incentive for special needs education raised from RM250 to RM300 per month, benefiting 20,000 special education teachers
Permata Kurnia Centres to be built in Melaka and Pahang to provide education, support and training for children with autism
More than 130 new Tabika Tunas Istimewa classes to be opened in rural areas
15 Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme (PDK) centres to be upgraded to specialised therapy centres, benefiting 20,000 registered persons with Down Syndrome
Specialised training for 3,000 new caregivers to meet demand for disability care services
