PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is ageing 1.5 times faster than Japan, raising urgent fiscal and social challenges for the country’s healthcare, pension and family support systems, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said Malaysia is compressing a century of demographic change into just five to six decades as compared with Japan.
“Japan underwent this process over 100 years, beginning with public health improvements that extended life expectancy, followed by a fertility decline, and by the 1990s, becoming an ageing society with about 30% of its population aged 65 and above.
“In Malaysia, all three stages are unfolding rapidly within 50 to 60 years,” he said when launching the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2025 results here on Monday (April 20).
Dzulkefly warned that the speed of ageing could outpace the country’s preparedness.
“The consequence is that our pension systems, healthcare services and social institutions may not be built up adequately in time.
“These pressures are converging quickly, and that is why NHMS 2025 is a call to action,” he said.
He stressed that the issue extends beyond healthcare alone.
“We need a whole-of-government approach, including efforts under KPWKM and the development of the silver economy.
“Our seniors must be supported with dignity, so their later years are lived with quality, not poor health,” he added.
