Mohamad Zahri (left) and Dr Rabindra at the event recognising Petaling Jaya as part of GNAFCC. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star
Mayor: City council also committed to improving life for senior citizens
PETALING Jaya in Selangor has been officially recognised as one of the member cities of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC).
Mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the recognition reflected Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) commitment to creating a city where every generation can flourish.
“MBPJ has carried out several initiatives to build a city that is inclusive and sustainable by taking into account the needs of all groups including children, teenagers, women, people with disabilities and senior citizens.
“This recognition is not just an acknowledgement of these efforts but also a profound inspiration for us to do more, dream bigger and work harder to create a future that is truly inclusive for all,” he said during the presentation of the GNAFCC certificate of participation at MBPJ’s headquarters.
Mohamad Zahri also said MBPJ launched Senior Citizen Action Plan 2030 last year to guide the city council and stakeholders to create an environment where senior citizens could lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
The action plan, he said, focused on five main areas namely health, economy, social and safety, education and the environment.
“Petaling Jaya’s participation in this global network proves it is one of the most proactive cities in terms of planning strategies and taking actions to benefit senior citizens,” he added.
He emphasised that MBPJ would continue striving to improve the lives of senior citizens in the city, with a basic assessment study to be conducted.
The study, he added, aimed to obtain a comprehensive picture of the demography and its growth rate in Petaling Jaya.
“It will also look into their socio-economic, health and well-being.
“Senior citizens’ levels of access to housing, healthcare services, public amenities and other essential support will also be assessed,” he said.
“This study can identify the current needs of senior citizens in Petaling Jaya accurately so that MBPJ can improve the action plan from time to time.”
Mohamad Zahri urged all parties to continue being committed and united to ensure the action plan’s sustainability.
Also present at the launch was WHO representative for Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, who said Petaling Jaya’s participation in GNAFCC could create many opportunities for it to share experiences with other member cities.
“You will not only be exposed to experiences and information from cities in Malaysia and Asean, but also the wider Asia-Pacific region and the whole world.
“This is especially important for Malaysia because it is also a rapidly ageing country,” he said.
He added that Malaysians would be joining the aged community soon and it was vital for them to feel appreciated and continue contributing to the economy and societal well-being.
“Hence, I believe this membership will provide Petaling Jaya with additional opportunities to create an inclusive society to improve the quality of life of its people,” he said.
During the ceremony, Mohamad Zahri and Dr Rabindra launched the official logo of “Petaling Jaya Age-Friendly City”, chosen from the Age-Friendly City Logo Design Competition organised by MBPJ from Sept 25 to Oct 1 last year.
Petaling Jaya is the sixth city in Malaysia to join GNAFCC, which currently includes 1,705 cities and communities across 60 countries, covering over 330 million people worldwide, according to WHO’s website.
