Senior Citizens Bill must reflect a society that values dignity and inclusion

WE welcome the anticipated tabling of Malaysia’s Senior Citizens Bill this year. However, urgency must not come at the expense of substance.

As this law will shape the lives of older persons for decades to come, it must be firmly grounded in a comprehensive, rights-based understanding of ageing and not in narrow, medicalised assumptions.

Ageing is not merely a health condition to be managed. It is a lived experience shaped by social and economic realities and structural inequalities. It is closely intertwined with disability, gender, accessibility, autonomy and participation.

A progressive Senior Citizens Bill should therefore move decisively beyond welfare and healthcare frameworks, and adopt a human rights and inclusion-based approach, aligned with Malaysia’s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

In line with these principles, we outline the following key recommendations to support the development of a robust, inclusive and rights-based law.

1. Recognise the ageing–disability continuum: Disability is not a marginal issue; it is central to ageing. As people grow older, many will experience disability, whether temporary, episodic or permanent. The Bill must recognise not only those who acquire disabilities as they grow older but also persons with disabilities who are already ageing, including individuals across diverse disability groups whose lived experiences are often underrepresented in policy design.

Ageing and disability are deeply interconnected, hence this continuum must be reflected across all provisions of the law. Disability inclusion should be embedded throughout the Bill with alignment to CRPD principles and coordinated implementation across sectors such as health, housing, transport, digital services and local governance.

2. Address gender inequality and the rights of women with disabilities: Women with disabilities face intersecting discrimination that is systemic, cumulative and frequently overlooked in ageing policy. Across their lives, they encounter barriers to economic security, healthcare, assistive support and participation while also being at greater risk of violence and neglect. These inequalities do not diminish with age; they only deepen.

The Bill must explicitly address this by embedding gender-responsive and disability-inclusive measures, including targeted safeguards, accessible services and the active inclusion of women with disabilities in decision-making and oversight.

3. Affirm accessibility as a legal right, not a discretionary option: Older persons cannot participate fully in society without environments, services and systems that are accessible by design. The Bill should require universal design across public infrastructure, housing, transportation and digital platforms, supported by clear compliance mechanisms, timelines and accountability measures.

4. Secure the right to independent and community living: Older persons must not be institutionalised by default due to lack of alternatives. The Bill must affirm the right to live independently and within the community, supported by adequate services and infrastructure. This includes strengthening home- and community-based-care, enabling ageing in place and ensuring accessible and affordable housing options.

5. Uphold autonomy through supported decision-making: The Bill should move away from paternalistic approaches that substitute the will of older persons. Instead, it should uphold autonomy through supported decision-making frameworks, enabling individuals to make their own choices with appropriate support. This includes ensuring informed consent across healthcare, financial matters and daily living while safeguarding against abuse, coercion and undue influence.

6. Ensure equitable and dignified healthcare: Healthcare and long-term care systems should be accessible, affordable, equitable and responsive to the needs of older persons, including those ageing with or into disabilities. This includes strengthening home-based and community care to support ageing in place.

7. Strengthen social protection and economic security: Ageing without financial security exposes individuals to systemic vulnerability. The Bill should strengthen income security and social protection systems, including pensions, universal and affordable national health insurance and crisis support. It must address lifelong inequalities that disproportionately affect women, persons with disabilities and those in informal employment.

8. Support inclusive technology and digital access: As societies become increasingly digital, exclusion from technology becomes a significant barrier. The Bill should require accessibility-by-design in all digital services and platforms, including e-government and financial services. It should also support access to assistive technologies and digital literacy, ensuring that older persons are not left behind in an increasingly digital society.

9. Promote inclusive participation: Nothing about older persons, including those with disabilities who are ageing, should be decided without their meaningful participation. Meaningful consultations must include organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), civil society organisations (CSOs) representing older persons, and individuals across diverse disability groups, particularly older women with disabilities.

Engagement should be continuous, inclusive and grounded in lived realities. Policies that exclude lived experience will ultimately fail the very people they are meant to serve.

10. Ensure meaningful and accessible public consultation: We call for accessible, nationwide public consultations in multiple languages and formats, ensuring broad and meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders, particularly organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs). Draft versions of the Bill should be made publicly available for review to ensure transparency, accountability and meaningful participation.

11. Establish independent oversight and accountability: We recommend establishing an independent and effective oversight mechanism to monitor implementation of this legislation and safeguard the rights of older persons.

Oversight must go beyond reporting functions to include powers to receive complaints, conduct investigations, issue binding recommendations and ensure access to remedies. This may involve strengthening existing institutions or establishing a dedicated independent body, such as a national commission.

The Bill must ensure clear and accessible pathways for redress, including for those ageing with or into disabilities, when their rights are violated.

We call on the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to ensure that this legislation is not only timely but also transformative.

MUHAMAD NADHIR ABDUL NASIR

Chair of Communication, Advocacy & Human Rights Committee

Society of the Blind in Malaysia (SBM)

CHRISTINE LEE

Wheelchair user, advocate and co-founder

Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transport (BEAT)

NAZIATY MOHD YAACOB (PHD)

OKU Director of Xiron ES Accessibility Solutions and advocate for disability-inclusive accessibility

and BEATRICE LEONG

Autistic gender-disability activist and independent documentary filmmaker

This letter was endorsed by the following CSOs:

1. Damai Disabled Person Association Malaysia

2. Society of the Blind in Malaysia (SBM)

3. Malaysian Council for Rehabilitation (MCR)