What a month it has been, and it’s not quite over yet. Oct 1 is International Day of Older Persons (IDOP). It marks the start of a month-long programme of activities and events for senior citizens.
There are seminars, carnivals, workshops, free health screenings and discounted buffets, to name a few, for them to enjoy. A far cry from the early 2000s when the day would pass mostly unheralded. I remember a few days before Oct 1, I would scan the newspapers for any mention of upcoming events honouring senior citizens.
Not a word. No mention at all. I remember writing about the government and society’s apathetic attitude towards our older citizens.
They have served the country well in their younger days and deserve to be acknowledged for their contribution to nation-building. All that has changed, thanks to the work of international organisations like the United Nations, World Bank and Help Age International. They have drawn worldwide attention to the rise in the elderly population, and its ramifications.
On the local front, we have NGOs like MyAgeing, Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS), Gerontological Society of Malaysia (GEM) and others that have worked hard to raise awareness of the changing demographics and how this would impact the country. Malaysia will reach aged nation status by 2030 when 15% of our population will be aged 60 and above. This rise is predicted to accelerate due to longer life expectancy and a declining fertility rate.
IDOP is a time not only to ce.