PETALING JAYA: The country, which is already transitioning into an “aged nation” by 2030, may be heading towards a bigger social crisis if urgent action is not taken to address the growing number of homeless elderly people.
Kechara Soup Kitchen marketing director Justin Cheah said the increasing number of senior citizens seeking food and shelter, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, reveals deeper cracks in the country’s traditional family support system.
He said about 60% of the homeless individuals seeking aid from NGOs are senior citizens aged 60 and above.
He added that many of them shared stories of family breakdowns, abandonment or financial hardship.
“Some were kicked out of their homes, while others chose not to burden their children who are themselves struggling financially,” he said when contacted.
He added that many of these homeless seniors do not seek help due to shame or poor health.
“Some rely on the Social Welfare Department for housing assistance, while others turn to soup kitchens for food because they have no other source of income,” he said.
Cheah said in some cases, older patients were referred to them by hospital social workers.
This was because the patients had nowhere else to go after being discharged from hospital or evicted from their rented homes when their children or next of kin stopped providing financial support.
“They leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs. These are individuals with no savings, no pension and no safety net. The streets become their only option,” he added.
Cheah warned that the situation could worsen as Malaysia’s elderly population continues to grow, with senior citizens expected to make up 23% of the population by 2040.
He said traditional family caregiving structures were under increasing strain due to urbanisation, rising living costs, smaller household sizes and migration of younger family members to cities.
“We are not saying Malaysian families have stopped caring. We are saying caring has become harder, and without formal support systems, some of the most vulnerable are falling through the cracks entirely,” he said.
He suggested Malaysia consider legislation similar to Singapore’s Maintenance of Parents Act, while stressing that support systems must accompany any legal reforms.
“Legislation without support structures will simply punish families who are themselves struggling,” Cheah said.
Food For You founder Tony Lian said the rising number of senior individuals seeking food and shelter during outreach programmes reveals a weakening sense of family responsibility.
“What is happening today is heartbreaking.
“People always say a father can raise 10 children but now even 10 children cannot take care of one father,” he lamented.
Lian said many senior individuals currently living on the streets were once hardworking breadwinners who spent decades sacrificing for their families.
However, some now find themselves abandoned after falling ill, losing their income or becoming too dependent on others, he added.
Dapur Jalanan Kuala Lumpur coordinator M. Haziq Fikri said the Destitute Persons Act 1977 should be reviewed as it uses an archaic approach to controlling and removing homeless people from public spaces, instead of addressing the root causes of poverty and homelessness.
Under the Act, he said a “destitute person” includes individuals found begging or without a clear source of income or place to stay.
“If the government is serious about reform, the Act must shift from punishment and control towards protection, rights and voluntary rehabilitation.”
