Mohamad Zahri (second left) and Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Aznan Hassan giving tokens of appreciation to senior citizens during the unveiling of the draft Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030 during a community event in Taman Aman. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
A FIVE-year action plan has been drafted to transform Petaling Jaya into an age-friendly, caring and inclusive city.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) unveiled the draft of its Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030, including the “PJ Food with Love” programme at a community event in Taman Aman.
In a statement, MBPJ said the city, which is among the earliest urban settlements in Selangor, is now facing the reality of a rapidly greying population with 12.6% of residents aged over 65.
Neighbourhoods such as Section 17, Section 19, SS3, Taman Medan and Kampung Tunku are seeing some of the highest concentrations of senior citizens.
This reality demands strategic planning and the provision of a more holistic, inclusive and sustainable community care support system.
Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the plan was a comprehensive strategy for building a high-impact care ecosystem.
“This plan not only focuses on providing services but also touches on caregiver professionalism, facilitating care centre licences and compliance, developing care data and technology as well as economic opportunities,” he said.
The mayor added that the plan would facilitate cross-sector collaboration between the government, communities, non-governmental organisations and the private sector in realising Petaling Jaya’s aspirations of become a caring, age-friendly and inclusive city.
The Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030 is aligned with the state government’s policy but has been localised to meet the city’s needs.
It was developed through extensive engagement with community members, government agencies, NGOs and operators of more than 200 care centres.
Stakeholders came together during a February workshop and again in May at a technical working group session to ensure the strategy is grounded in reality.
The “PJ Food with Love” programme, meanwhile, is aimed at senior citizens living alone who may be especially vulnerable.
This programme is implemented through a strategic collaboration with Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (Agecope) Selangor, ManagedCare Sdn Bhd and Le Maison Blissful.
The initiative will deliver nutritious meals to homes, ensure regular health checks by medical teams and provide panic buttons for emergencies.
Volunteers from Agecope Selangor will make weekly phone calls to check on recipients.
Corporate partners such as Sunway Integrated Properties Sdn Bhd have contributed food and souvenirs for beneficiaries.
