Former banker and corporate trainer Rajes Singam admits that she isn’t totally comfortable with the word retirement because it signifies “closure” and “endings”.
“But when a person retires, it’s not the end of their life. He or she is just leaving the formal workplace to do what he/she wants to in life,” says the 64-year-old who will be retiring next year at the age of 65.
“This means I’ll be free of any formal job responsibilities then. But, it doesn’t mean that I won’t be working because I may still be engaged in other pursuits,” she says.
“I want to pursue my hobbies and be part of the larger community when I retire,” she says, adding that she’s a member of Seniors Aloud, a community for seniors.
Rajes’s passion is writing and she’s an administrator for the community's creative writing group, and they meet monthly to write short stories.
She is also a member of KLSings, a choir for senior singers.
“It’s run by Cheryl Teh, an active member of Seniors Aloud who manages choirs all over the country. She also runs the music programme for University of the Third Age, a university for seniors,” reveals Rajes.
“We go by semesters or 10-week sessions and I’m in my third semester already,” she says enthusiastically, adding that they recently had a concert performance in Ipoh where they raised over RM10,000 for single mothers and women with no income in Perak.
“I want to get into more community work and have already started transitioning while in the work force, so I’m ready for 2024,” she says.
Rajes, who is married and has two adult daughters who are happily married, and four granddaughters, adds that writing and singing are good brain activities and this is what she wants to focus on.
Her advice to the soon-to-be-retired is to “firstly, think things through before retiring because you need to be financially, emotionally, mentally and physically prepared and ready to cope with non-working life”.
Secondly, she advises to “transition gradually and don’t cut off everything suddenly so that you’ll move into this new phase without any emptiness or frustration”.
Rajes says that as she nears her “retirement”, she’s become more prudent on how she spends her money.
“Finances are a concern for many retirees – whether they have enough to last when they’re no longer working. At least I have options while some others don’t. But I live frugally, like for example, I don’t have lavish dinners every night,” she says.
Stay independent
Retiree Janet Tan works part time to pass time and have a “happy lifestyle”. The 64-year-old former secondary school teacher, schoolbook editor and childcare centre owner, reveals that her “hobby is now her job”.
“I’m a talent in commercial advertisements. I’ve always wanted to fulfill my dream of acting in dramas, which I never had the chance to when I was young because of my career and family responsibilities,” she says.
Tan was first introduced to acting by her student. After graduating, her student who was working in a media company, needed more talents and asked her to continue.
“They wanted someone to play the role of a teacher so they asked me,” says Tan who has acted in two such dramas.
“I’m also involved in commercial shooting for advertisements in YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and TV,” says the happening Tan who has an agent and is in a WhatsApp group for talents.
It was because of this that Tan – who is married and has three adult children – welcomed her retirement eagerly instead of with apprehension.
“I’ve a lot of plans for what I would do after retiring because when we’re working, we’ve limited time and space for other stuff,” she says.
Tan says she’ll also visit her close friends and relatives, travel, and work (part-time) doing parcel packaging for her son’s friend’s online business.
Tan says another of her goals during her retirement is to be part of a live band and learn to play the drums.
She is also taking up Chinese calligraphy and tangle art at the University of the Third Age, a university for seniors.
Her advice to retirees is to “stay busy with your passion”.
“You’ve got to think positive but don’t just think about it, you’ve also got to take action,” she says.
Tan feels that it’s important to give back to society.
“Now that there is time, you can become a volunteer, contribute your time and energy to care for those in need. Be kind, compassion and have a big heart, learn how to give instead of just take,” she says.
Tan says that she didn’t have any concerns about her retirement because she has always had a positive outlook on life, and she has also prepared herself early.
“Finances and health are very important for retirees. You need to be financially independent and have reserve funds for your retirement so when you’re working, you need to save,” she advises.
Tan emphasises that it’s important for retirees to be independent.
“A lot of people think their children will look after them when they’re old. And yes, most children do look after their elderly parents. But we can’t just depend on our children because they have their own responsibilities and lives to lead. And we want them to go far in life and achieve their goals without having to be constantly worrying about us,” she says.
“This is why I do part-time jobs for pocket money,” she adds.
Some of my friends tell me their children advise them not to do this or that, to stay home and be safe. But my children encourage me to be independent, to go out and explore, learn and enjoy myself, and that’s much better, says Tan.
According to Tan, retiring too early isn’t advisable and people can work well until their 60s.
“As long as a retiree is healthy, they can still do a lot of things. They can work and be independent and contribute to society.
“Don’t stop all your activities after retiring because it will cause your mind and body to deteriorate,” she concludes.
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