Senior citizens are those who have attained their retirement age. In Malaysia, it was 55 years and then 58 years, but now it has been raised to 60 years.(Government of Malaysia) But, even after retiring at 60 years, many of them are still active and continue working, doing part-time jobs or in the private sector. Many of these retired people are still able to use their knowledge and skills in the private sector. They can still contribute tremendously to the country, especially in critical areas. Experienced people are still needed in the fields of science, IT, and management. They can also guide the younger workers with their jobs.
With improved health care, the number of senior citizens is increasing at the rate of about 300,000 per year now according to Wikipedia. Many of them are over 70 and can no longer play an active part in the development of the country. Sadly, a large number of senior citizens lead difficult lives. Money is the biggest problem for them. . The ones who served the government are lucky. They receive a pension which is enough to cover their basic needs. But what about those in the private sector? They receive a lump sum of money. It is a one-time payment, and the amount varies depending on their job and monthly salary. Those in the Industrial Manual Group (IMG) don't receive much money, and the money they receive finishes as fast as it comes... Then it is a difficult time for them,
Many start working again. They work mainly as security guards, gardeners, and manual workers (IMG). Some of them even turn to begging. The government doesn't have a serious plan to handle the ever-increasing senior citizens. The government shouldn't forget the contribution of the senior citizens. Even the IMG group has contributed tremendously towards the development of the country. Roads, railways, and many forms of infrastructure have been put up by them. Many of them have played big roles in the development of the country. The country you see today is the result of the work put in by the senior citizens. So to repay their contributions, the Government should formulate serious plans to look after them.
Today, we should take good care of them, especially those who are not able to fend for themselves Many of the youths today do not take care of their parents, unlike some time ago, when the aged were taken care of by their family members. They were treated well and had a comfortable place to stay and good food. They were respected. But now, it's a pity to see some senior citizens not able to fend for themselves. Some also put their aged parents in a horrible old folks' home and rarely visit them, citing that they don't have enough time. The richer ones are lucky as they are able to employ a maid to look after them
The government should play a bigger role in ensuring that senior citizens are comfortable. What the country is doing now is just not enough to help the aged. Many of them rely on government handouts, which are hardly enough to sustain them for a month. How can we help the senior citizens live a better life? The social life of senior citizens should be improved. The relevant agencies and the government do not have enough activities for the senior citizens. Most of the activities are mainly suitable for teenagers and adults. There is an absence of activities for the senior citizens. Activities for the senior citizens will give them a chance to come together and share their experiences. They can also have indoor and outdoor activities.
The health care for senior citizens is quite good. Senior citizens who retired from the government sector do not have to pay for hospital treatment. Apart from that, anyone above the age of 60 is given treatment in the Government hospitals free of charge. Health care for the senior citizens is quite good, but the financial care is far from bad. Those who held senior positions in the government and private sector lead quite a comfortable life after retirement, but those who held junior, lower-paid jobs are not so fortunate. It is not too bad for those who worked for the government, as they get a pension, but those from the private sector hardly have money, as the little sum they receive upon retirement is quickly used up. Some then get another job, and the popular jobs do not pay much. Many become beggars as they have no choice. The government must look into the plight of these people. They must have some sort of mechanism to help these people. It is not easy for the government to look into the problems of a large number of people, but if they don't, who will help?
Palaniappan Karuppan (deeo02@yahoo.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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