KUALA LUMPUR: Plans to address the nation’s ageing population will be included in DAP’s manifesto, says Howard Lee, a member of the party’s committee on drafting the manifesto for the 15th General Election.
It is part of the party’s efforts to visualise Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s vision of making the coalition’s manifesto more realistic by addressing issues directly, he added.
In a recent interview with a news portal, the Opposition leader had said the coalition would only commit itself to issues that it could deliver, in its upcoming manifesto.
Pakatan faced criticism for failing to fulfil its promises, with then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad conceding that the coalition did not expect to rule after GE14 when it drew up its election manifesto.
Lee said the number of Malaysians over 65 was expected to grow from 2.3 million in 2020 to over 6.5 million or 20% of the population in 2045 based on predictions from the United Nations.
“There is already a significant lack of elderly caregivers in the industry. If not addressed, this could cause a spike in social issues like the increased cases of parents being abandoned by their children,” he said at a press conference, adding that more people would also be forced to sacrifice their careers to care for their ageing parents.
