PUTRAJAYA: Putrajaya Corporation and the Federal Territories Department have been asked to review their expected Budget 2027 allocations to strengthen care and improve the welfare of senior citizens, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh (pic).
She said existing approaches must be adapted to the physical and social needs of senior citizens, including those who are bedridden, live alone, or have lost their spouses.
Programmes for senior citizens, she said, should not focus solely on physical activities such as aerobics and brisk walking, but also include activities suited to their abilities and interests.
“The needs of a 60-year-old are very different from those of an 80-year-old. If we do not consider their needs and organise programmes that are convenient for us to run but difficult for them to participate in, we will fail to meet those needs,” she said at the Putrajaya-level Federal Territories Senior Citizens’ Day celebration here yesterday.
Yeoh said loneliness among the elderly also needed attention, as those living alone or who have lost their spouses were at risk of social isolation and falling victim to scams, Bernama reported.
As such, she proposed that community centres and places of worship reach out to senior citizens who have lost their spouses and organise follow-up activities to ensure they are not left alone.
She said such efforts should also be extended to senior citizens who are unable to attend programmes at Senior Citizens’ Activity Centres so that they may also receive social support.
Yeoh also pledged her support for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to empower vulnerable groups, including senior citizens.
