Senior citizen-friendly facilities being implemented by Perak govt

IPOH: A system to evaluate and ensure buildings or facilities are senior citizen friendly is being planned, says Sandrea Ng.

The Perak local government committee chairman said the Senior Citizen Friendly Rating System is in the pipeline to be developed to ensure buildings or other public facilities are suitable for the elderly, as the country is rapidly moving towards an ageing nation status.

“According to the Statistics Department, by 2030, about 15% of the population will be aged 60 and above.

“The situation in the state is more critical. In just six years, one in five residents is expected to be elderly, which is around 20.5% of the state’s population and will be the highest in the country,” she said in her opening speech during the Perak Senior Welfare Programme: Age-Friendly Community at the state Urban Transformation Centre here on Tuesday (Dec 17).

“The system will involve public infrastructure, facilities and houses, based on the universal design principles and Green Building Index concept,” she added.

Ng said the challenge is compounded by the high rate of young people migrating to other locations, leaving behind an older community.

“If we do not prepare now, we will face greater social and economic pressures in the future.

“However, we must remember that this phenomenon is not just a challenge but also an opportunity for us to plan for inclusive, sustainable and senior-friendly development, thus positioning Perak as a model state in addressing this issue,” she said.

“The federal government, through the National Senior Citizens Action Plan (2011-2030), has outlined a strategy to address the issue of ageing. Furthermore, the National Aging Agenda will be one of the main focuses of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which will be tabled in Parliament next year.

“As the state with the highest ageing rate, the state government has set this commitment as one of the priorities under the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan, particularly in the Social Prosperity agenda,” she added.

At a separate press conference, Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin, who was also present, said the new assessment rate would be announced on Dec 26.

Rumaizi said there would be a slight reduction from the proposed 9% rate.

There had been an uproar among the people over the proposed assessment rates, which saw their tax amount increase despite a lower rate.