KUALA LUMPUR: The government intends to train 2,000 professional caregivers for the elderly this year alone, says Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister also said that it is time caregiving is deemed a dignified profession.
She said this in her speech while officiating a seminar and stakeholder consultation titled “Malaysian Care Ecosystem - Assuring the Quality of Caregivers” here at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Thursday (May 21).
The event was jointly organised by the National Council of Women’s Organisations Malaysia (NCWO), and Univeristi Malaya's Faculty of Medicine.
“We must move from viewing caregiving as informal labour to recognising it as a skilled and respected profession.
“Caregivers are not merely helpers. They are frontline pillars of human wellbeing, dignity and national resilience. It is time we treat them that way.
"Caregiving in Malaysia - as in most of the world - falls disproportionately on women. Our female labour force participation rate stands at just 56.6%, against more than 83% for men.
“And 63% of women outside the workforce cite housework and caregiving as the primary reason," she said.
Nancy added that globally, the scale is staggering, with more than 708 million women are locked out of economic participation by unpaid care responsibilities.
"This is not a personal choice. It is a systemic failure - and addressing it is both a gender equality imperative and an economic one.
“This year, the Ministry targets to train 2,000 caregivers, including Welfare Department officers, caregivers for bedridden persons and community-based providers," she said.
“We are simultaneously developing National Care Standards for older persons and persons with disabilities - establishing minimum quality benchmarks to ensure that care is safe, ethical, dignified and rights-based.
“These standards are being developed through a multi-sectoral approach involving industry, academia, NGOs, and government agencies. Together, they will strengthen governance, elevate competencies, and support the longterm sustainability of Malaysia’s care economy.
“Guided by the National Ageing Blueprint, the 13th Malaysia Plan, the National Plan of Action for Older 16 Persons and the Malaysia Care Strategic Framework, our direction is clear.
“If there is one reform Malaysia cannot afford to delay, it is the establishment of an integrated health and long-term care ecosystem.
“Let us therefore work together to build a Malaysia where caregivers are respected, supported, trained and empowered, because quality care reflects the values of a truly caring, inclusive and progressive nation,” said Nancy.
The seminar and stakeholder consultation, along with an exhibition, highlighted the challenges facing the elderly and caregivers.
