Projects for an age-friendly Taiping

Nolee Ashilin (centre) witnessing the exchanging of MOU documents between Khairul Amir (left) and Prof Siti Anom. With them are MyAgeing consultant Datuk Dr Tengku Aizan Hamid (right).

VARIOUS projects will be implemented as part of efforts to turn Taiping into an Age-Friendly Town.

Perak local government committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohamed Radzi said these included construction, upgrading and repairing of structures and facilities in the town, to ensure Taiping remains appealing to all age groups.

Nolee Ashilin said among the projects was the refurbishing of the century-old Taiping Old Market.

“About RM9mil has been allocated to refurbish and repair the market. The project is expected to be completed in May 2022.

“The Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) is working closely with the National Heritage Department on it, ” she said during the launch of a survey for the Taiping Age-Friendly Town initiative in Taiping.

“Other projects include developments at Kamunting Lake Gardens and Royal Taiping Lake Gardens.

“The council is also in the process of renewing the Taiping Special Heritage Town Plan, which is a guideline to develop Taiping as a Heritage Town, in line with the Age-Friendly Town initiative.

“New terms that are in line with the initiative will be included, ” she added.

In 2019, Taiping was chosen for the implementation of the first phase of the Age-Friendly City pilot initiative.

The initiative is based on the World Health Organisation’s Global Age-Friendly City Guide to make urban areas conducive to senior citizens.

During the launch, Nolee Ashilin also witnessed the signing and exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to carry out the survey between council president Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing) director Associate Prof Dr Siti Anom Ahmad.

The MOU will see MPT and MyAgeing cooperate for five years.