Barely a day goes by in Malaysia without yet another headline on how the country’s digital economy and digitalisation aspirations are being furthered in one way or another.
The nation has recently seen the Immigration Department target full digitalisation, with ongoing efforts including its MyBorderPass and MyNIISe (National Integrated Immigration System) digital immigration platforms and their integration with MyDigital ID.
Meanwhile, the Road Transport Department announced last November that the MyJPJ app would be switching over to MyDigital ID as its sole login method from Feb 1, making registration with the national digital identification system mandatory in order to access the service.
While this may be straightforward enough for more tech-savvy Malaysians, both developments have raised public concern over accessibility, particularly for older adults, many of whom have limited digital literacy.
For 76-year-old Kuala Lumpur retiree Frances, who asked to be quoted by just her first name, the biggest bugbear in accessing government apps and other digital services is fear.
“I believe I am teachable, but the hardest part is that I’m scared of doing it on my own,” she says, adding “if I make a mistake, what happens if I can’t recover or fix it. If someone is there to guide me, then everything is fine.”
Frances says that while she can use e-hailing services and banking apps, she finds the apps used to access government services quite confusing.
Another senior, a 66-year-old who asked to be referred to as just Annabelle, shares similar thoughts, saying that the experience in apps tend to vary quite widely. “Some are easy to use while some are not. I do use banking apps which are so far easy,” she says.
Annabelle similarly shares that while she rarely uses government apps, she has had negative experiences in the past when it comes to government websites.
According to Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil, this marks a significant and growing concern, especially as both the private and public sectors rush headfirst into digitalisation.
From his perspective, this may even grow to become a systemic exclusion of seniors if steps towards inclusivity are not taken into consideration during the digital transformation effort.
“Without appropriate safeguards, digitalisation can inadvertently widen social and economic gaps, placing older individuals at a disadvantage in accessing services, information, and opportunities.
“From MCCA’s perspective, this is no longer a future risk but an emerging reality that requires immediate and coordinated attention,” he says, adding that the association has observed such cases where seniors struggle due to limited access to essential services.
“These include services that require mobile applications for appointments, identity verification, or transactions, with limited or no walk-in, assisted, or analogue options available.
“While the services technically remain accessible, the lack of human-assisted channels results in functional exclusion, particularly for older individuals who do not own smartphones, cannot navigate complex applications, or are uncomfortable with digital-only interactions,” Siraj says.
Similar cases are observed by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), with its director of planning and development, Mohd Bashir Sulaiman, saying that this has been a recurring issue.
He says that the island has been steadily introducing digital systems such as QR-based parking, cashless transactions at hawker centres, online appointments, and digital council services.
“While these initiatives improve efficiency, feedback from the ground shows that many senior citizens struggle to adapt due to limited digital exposure, confidence, or access to guidance,” Mohd Bashir says.
Siraj adds that a major part of why seniors tend to struggle with technology is due to how many of them require multiple steps, which can appear quite abstract to a user who is not already familiar with them.
This is particularly the case for online banking applications, e-wallets, and government service platforms, due to security measures such as authentication via one-time passwords (OTPs), biometrics, or switching between apps.
Likewise, Mohd Bashir notes that managing passwords and PINs across multiple apps, coupled with a lack of understanding of the purpose of one-time passwords (OTPs) and the difference between approvals sent via SMS and in-app push notifications, remains a major challenge for many older adults.
He further points out that some apps require users to tweak their device settings, such as notifications, permissions, and accessibility, which can be problematic.
Both also believe that frequent changes to user interfaces and user experience are a key pain point, making it harder for seniors to adapt to using such apps.
“In many cases, the challenge lies not in operating the device itself, but in navigating systems that demand high cognitive load and assume a level of digital intuition that many seniors have not had the opportunity to develop,” Siraj says.
As pressure mounts on senior citizens to adapt to rapidly changing technologies amid digitalisation, this has also given rise to outreach initiatives aimed at providing guidance and teaching practical digital skills.
“It would be good if the government could set up help centres for us when we get stuck, especially for government services. There’s a lot of steps sometimes, and so many apps, so it’s very hard for senior citizens to remember,” Frances adds.
Teaching tactics
For Yang Chor Leong, the chairman of Persatuan Aktiviti Warga Emas (Pawe), or the senior citizens activity centre in Subang Jaya, this is an issue that needs to be handled with care.
He points to the adoption of banking and e-wallet apps as the centre transitioned to QR payments for activities in the past year. While the shift posed a challenge to some Pawe members at the beginning, many later found the system convenient once they became familiar with the process.
Yang adds that measures such as stricter password requirements and biometric approval in banking apps add an extra layer of safety for older adults who are concerned about being scammed.
“The transition, of course, is not easy. But I want to say, more people stand to benefit,” he says.
Yang further stresses these programmes should be easily understood and presented in a way that everyone including seniors can grasp, so that they are able to keep up with new developments and apply them in their daily life.
Such efforts can be seen with the work being done by MBPP in collaboration with the Jelutong branch of Pawe and the city council’s Age Tech Programme, with regularly held classes on a variety of topics surrounding the use of digital apps and smartphones (for more info, head to tinyurl.com/mrfdw96b).
Similar to Yang’s calls for more easily understood lessons, Mohd Bashir says the digital clinics conducted in Penang stress hands-on learning and are taught using simple language, repetition, and real-life scenarios.
“The programme was introduced to support seniors at a comfortable pace and reduce over-reliance on family members or third parties.
“An added benefit observed is the peer-learning effect, where trained seniors often help friends, spouses, and neighbours,” he says.
Mohd Bashir further says that each class usually attracts about 130 to 300 participants, with turnout usually dependent on the proximity of sessions to the homes of members, and interest in the topic being covered.
Lessons cover a wide range of topics, from smartphone basics – such as decluttering unused apps – to photography and using WhatsApp for communication.
They also include digital safety practices, e-wallet usage, e-hailing services and accessing MBPP-related digital services.
Some classes even introduce online tools such as ChatGPT and Google Forms, as well as social media platforms like TikTok.
“Sessions are practical and slow-paced. They include device checks, recap of previous lessons, guided hands-on practice, digital safety reminders, and individual troubleshooting,” he says.
MCCA classes under its Program Literasi ICT Warga Emas (Senior Citizen ICT Literacy programme) likewise focus on everyday digital skills, including basic smartphone use, cashless payments, password management and online scam awareness (for more info, go to tinyurl.com/45h4and9).
“The main challenges encountered are not purely technical but behavioural and structural, including low confidence among seniors, fear of making irreversible mistakes, complex and frequently changing application interfaces, and the absence of sustained follow-up after initial training sessions, which affects long-term retention of skills,” Siraj says.
Mohd Bashir says MBPP conducts such follow-ups to assess effectiveness, using practical indicators such as “before-and-after task completion” and “self-reported confidence levels”, as well as continued usage, safer digital habits, and the completion of tasks such as e-wallet transactions.
He further notes that the lessons aim to build confidence and help participants overcome anxiety during each session, rather than trying to cover too many topics at once.
Looking at the long-term
Mohd Bashir says that a failure to address such digital gaps will leave seniors in a vulnerable position, where they are dependent on others, with a greater exposure to scams, and increased isolation as communications become increasingly digital.
“Digital exclusion is a real concern, particularly for seniors living alone, those with lower income, limited formal education, or without regular family support.
“MBPP treats digital inclusion as a social responsibility closely linked to active ageing, dignity, and independence,” he says.
Siraj further says any approach to the issue needs to account for the differences between seniors in rural and urban settings, as he points out that while seniors may be eager to learn, the matter of access to devices and infrastructure plays a significant role.
“Urban seniors generally have better access to devices, connectivity, and exposure to digital services, but they also face faster- paced digitalisation and higher pressure to adapt.
“Rural seniors often encounter infrastructure and connectivity limitations, yet they frequently demonstrate strong motivation to learn when training is contextualised, delivered in person, and supported by community networks.
“The key distinction lies in opportunity and support mechanisms rather than attitude toward technology,” he says, adding that the responsibility to educate older adults does not fall on any single party’s shoulders, but should instead be shared.
“Government agencies have a duty to ensure that digital services are inclusive and supported by assisted or alternative access channels, while industry players must adopt senior-friendly design principles and clearer communication.
“Civil society organisations such as MCCA play a critical role in bridging policy, technology, and community realities, and families and local communities provide essential ongoing support.
“While existing efforts are commendable, they remain fragmented and insufficient; what is needed is a coordinated, long-term national strategy that integrates education, service design, and consumer protection for an ageing population,” Siraj says.
Yang also believes that no single party should be responsible for such outreach efforts, with the involvement of the government, private sector, and even academia all playing a role in knowledge sharing.
He hopes such lessons can result in win-win outcomes, where seniors gain digital knowledge and service providers – such as Internet providers and app developers – can tap into a new user base.
“For us, this is a community service. I’m sure that everyone would love to attend. This subject is very beneficial to all, and under an intergenerational programme, I think even the youth would like to learn,” he says, adding that Pawe Subang Jaya is open to collaborating with any parties keen to hold such lessons.
