Staying alive and relevant

Placing people in a mould because of their age will only discourage them from excelling and being all that they can be, says Murugasu. Photo: Filepic

Don't anybody dare call Murugasu Kathiah over the hill or tell him that he is past his prime. The 64-year-old management and academic consultant feels that such ageist stereotypes are harmful as they place senior citizens in a mould that sometimes can prevent them from pursuing their passions.

“Such phrases and words have negative connotations and make seniors think that they can’t do certain things, but we’re neither unable nor disabled – so these kind of negative words should be taken out from our vocabulary and speech. Placing people in a mould because of their age will only discourage them from excelling and being all that they can be,” he says.

Murugasu recalls an incident that he went through at a government clinic after his retirement.

“They stamped on my card warga tua and I objected strongly saying, ‘I’m not warga tua, I’m warga mas so don’t mention the word tua,” he recalls and laughs.

“I’ve always told people never to mention that they’re ‘growing older’, but rather ‘growing more mature’,” he says.

Murugasu believes that one should never let age deter one from pursuing their dreams. Photo: Murugasu Kathiah

Murugasu believes that it’s very important for a person to stay active and have a positive outlook on life he or she grows older.

“I decided to re-enter the job market after my retirement because to me, there’s no age for retirement. In fact, retirement is when a person is six feet underground,” he says in jest and laughs.

“I wanted to keep my mind and body active, and to keep moving forward in life,” he adds.

Murugasu, whose interest and forte is in education, reveals he loves to share his experience and expertise with others because he believes that “sharing is caring”.

“When we share our knowledge and expertise with others, we’re also learning,” he says.

Even though his doctor has told him he has high blood pressure and diabetes and will have to be on medications, Murugasu says that he doesn’t let that limit him from pursuing what he wants to in life.

“Seniors face a lot of challenges. I feel that some seniors out there have a wealth of experience and expertise to share but they aren’t given the opportunity because they’re considered ‘too old’.

“But I think we should never underestimate a senior citizen because they are knowledgeable and talented in their own ways,” he says.

But whether discrimination or respect, it works both ways, says Murugasu.

“While some may respect their elders, others do discriminate against seniors in the sense that they don’t give them employment or opportunities. Just because they’re older, people think they may be slower or ill most of the time,” he notes.

“But this is a wrong assumption because that’s not always the case. I believe you should give seniors an opportunity so that they can prove themselves that they can be committed and good workers,” he concludes.