TO celebrate its 41st anniversary, the Senior Citizens Association Penang hosted a special dinner to honour its members and to send a loud message on the roles of senior citizens in this modern era despite the rapid technological advancements.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, as the guest of honour, said the voices of the senior citizens, which may be overshadowed by the young people of today, deserve to be heard in the world.
“Having lived much longer, seen and gone through much more, senior citizens should be respected for their wisdom which they have gained through decades of experience. The experience gained indeed is often the best teacher.
“Their opinions matter although sometimes, the young might consider them to be outdated and at times, even irrelevant.
“They know first-hand what it’s like to live through tragedies and triumphs, times of war and peace, both through personal experience and as a member of society,” Chow said in his speech during the dinner at the Daily Fish Seafood Restaurant at Logan Road in George Town today.
In his speech, he also stated that the term ‘senior’ conjures up a person who is over the hill, someone who needs discount cards, someone who uses dentures instead of real teeth, someone with white or greying hair with a walking stick in hand.
“It is indeed true that society today highly values youth but that does not indicate that we should forsake the old. All of us will get there one fine day!
“Ageing is both an opportunity and a challenge. We need to acknowledge the fact that an ageing population is a success, not a hindrance. It is a triumph of humanity therefore we should celebrate ageing and not fear it,” he added.
Penang is dubbed as the second highest state in Malaysia after Perak with an ageing population.
According to Chow, at the national level, as of 2020, 7.1% of Malaysia’s population are aged 65 and above.
“That means in less than 20 years, Malaysia will be an aged nation with 20% of its population aged over 60, 15% aged over 65, and 17% aged over 80,” he said.
Chow, however, said that Penang has many services to cater to the ageing population, from nursing homes to volunteer programmes to state government initiatives.
“This year itself, the state government has spent more than RM54.2 million for the I-Sejahtera Senior Citizens Appreciation Programme and this amount will only increase even more in 2024,” he added.
Also present during the dinner were Senior Citizens Association Penang patron Tan Sri Yussof Latiff and the association’s president Katherine Ong Paik Sun.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud