More Malaysians getting rid of

their old folk

Published: Monday August 12, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM

KUCHING: The long waiting list at the governments welfare home, Rumah Sri
Kenangan, is a worrying sign that Malaysians are too quick to wash their
hands off their old folk.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul
Karim said this startling revelation called for a revival of basic family values.
Although she could not give any figures offhand, she said the number of
applications for places in old folks homes were high.
It is worrying because the waiting list is long. It shows that children are
leaving the responsibility to the institution to handle their elderly parents, she
told reporters during her Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house here yesterday.
In fact, she said, Rumah Sri Kenangan should be a last option.
Asked if there was a need for stricter regulations on the admittance of
elderlies, Rohani explained that Rumah Sri Kenangan had its set of conditions
for people seeking shelter at the home, such as having no next of kin or no
money.
Unfortunately, she said, there were still instances of elderlies being dumped at
the homes gates.
Whats worse is when we investigate, the elderlies could not even remember
their names and where they came from. But we tried our very best to trace
their next-of-kin, she said.
She believed having more laws was not the answer to the problem for they
would only be punitive in nature, whereas the ministry wanted people to be
willing to take care of their old parents.

Yes, we know people are busy working and stressed out, but sending their
old parents to an institution is not the solution, she said.
We must have a society where people are always willing to look after their old
parents. After all, our parents were the reason why we are here today.
They sacrificed a lot to make sure we come up in life, so why wont we look
after them in their golden years?
In view of what is happening, Rohani has instructed her agencies to revisit the
basic family values in their respective programmes hoping to inculcate a
sense of responsibility back into society.
She said the Government had also come up with alternatives such as
institutions where people could place their old parents while they worked.
She said her ministry had set up community centres catering to activities for
senior citizens.
She said these centres were for elderlies who were still able to move around
on their own and could fill their time with various activities which focused on
fitness, religions and even handicrafts, among other things.
Malaysia currently has 22 such centres and 23 more would be set up by the
end of the year.
In Sarawak, there is only one centre, and it is at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee. Soon,
five more will be set up in other divisions.
These centres operate during regular office hours and do not provide
boarding.
Any senior citizen can go there to take part in various activities for free.
Recently, the centres embarked on Purple DNA programme which helps the
elderlies to sell their handicrafts.

SENDING AGED PARENTS TO DAYCARE

CENTRES
Bernama Media Thu, Feb 16, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Coping with a challenging economy is among the factors
that can send a family to the breaking point. Taking care of aging parents can be a costly affair, so
some children choose to do away with that responsibility by sending them to old folks homes. The
issue was recently debated on a radio station and the feedback received showed that many
chastise placing ones aging parents in a home.
A listener shared his experience of sending his mother to an old folks home for its daycare
services. The listener said the move was made with consent from his mother, who often felt lonely
at home by herself while he went to work. In addition, it also ensured his mothers safety while he
was working. Sending ones aged parents to a home for the elderly on a daily basis or to daycare is
no longer something unheard of in todays society, especially when the children live in large cities
such as Kuala Lumpur.
While money may not be an issue for some, time still is. Daycare services ensure that aged
parents are well taken care of and at the same time, children are still able to spend time with the
parents when they come home from work.
FOR SAFETYS SAKE
For Muhammad Yaser Abdul Aziz, 38, the move to send his mother, 70-year-old Satariah Saad,
to Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang Tua Al-Ikhlas in Puchong was the best decision he made in
the interests of his ailing mother. The engineer sent his Alzheimers-inflicted mother to the home
six months ago as he feared for her safety while he was at work. The home was not far from where
they live in Puchong, while his office is in Cyberjaya.
"After bathing her in the morning and having breakfast together, I would send her to the home.
In the evening when I get off work, I would fetch her and wed go home together. "At night, we
have dinner together and I accompany her until she falls asleep. So her time is filled with friends,
children and grandchildren," he revealed to Bernama. Muhammad Yaser, the youngest of three
sons, said he brought his mother to live with him in 2009, after his father died. He was worried
for the safety of his mother, who lived alone in his village in Teluk Intan, Perak. "She has diabetes
and hypertension. I cant leave her alone there. All her children are in Kuala Lumpur," he said.
However, nearly a year ago, his mothers memory started deteriorating and the symptoms of
Alzheimers disease started creeping in. His mother kept wanting to go out of the house, and
exhibited child-like behaviour while reenacting her memories from childhood.

Muhammad Yaser said several visits to specialists yielded the same advice -- for his mother not to
be left alone and to be constantly in the company of people to reduce the acceleration of the
disease.
SOCIETAL DISAPPROVAL
After discussing with his elder brothers, they agreed that sending their mother to daycare would
be the best option. "We are worried that her disease will progress if she is left alone with a sitter.
Finding a helper versed in caring for an elderly person is hard, and I do not trust them anyway,"
he said. Muhammad Yaser said after months of searching for the right daycare centre, he came
across Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang Tua Al-Ikhlas, run by former nurse Muji Sulaiman.
"After observing for myself how the home is run, and seeing that they also conduct religious
activities there, I decided to send my mother there," he said. He said he often receives negative
feedback from the people around him for sending his mother to an old folks facility.
Muhammad Yaser said they were entitled to their thoughts on the matter, but as he was the one
shouldering the responsibility, he had to make the best decision for his mother after taking into
account the limitations of his own abilities.
KEEPING THEM COMPANY
After six months of sending his mother to daycare service, Muhammad Yaser said he found the
symptoms of her Alzheimers improving. "Previously, my mother would get irritated easily and
throw tantrums. But since going there and finding company to do activities together with, she
seems much calmer and happier," said Muhammad Yaser. This writer visited his mother,
Satariah, at the home and found her busy chatting with other residents. When the writer
introduced herself, Satariah greeted her cheerfully and answered questions obligingly. Satariah
said she used to work as kindergarten teacher and was sent there by her son, Muhammad Yaser.
She said she would follow the religious classes and congregational prayers there daily, but her
worsening eyesight made it difficult for her to read the Quran. "It is relaxing here. I can sit, lie
down and just chat with friends. There are religious classes and congregational prayers. "My son
would come and fetch me in the evening. But I have fun here," she said.
AN APPROPRIATE MOVE
Prof Madya Dr Mariani Md Nor from Universiti Malayas Educational Psychology and Counseling
Department said the move to send ones aged parents to a daycare centre may help solve the
problem of working children. However, it depends on whether it was done in the best interest of
the parents. "If we send them there because we feel that they are a burden to us, it can be a sinful
thing, as it can hurt their feelings deeply. "However, if the parents are happy to oblige because
they are lonely at home or have a health problem and need to be attended to, then the move is
appropriate."
However, several things need to be noted before sending ones parents to an old folks care
facility. One needs to ensure the cleanliness and comfort at the home, and the type of services

provided. "If its evident that the home is just a money-making venture where the residents
comfort is sidelined, we should opt against sending our parents there. "Our goal is to make them
happy, to help them make friends and to rid of their loneliness while we are out to earn a living,"
she said.
-- BERNAMA
KK SHM INE RON

I Weep For These Neglected Senior Citizens.

Do You?
Articles:

Written by Teh Wei Soon

Published on Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:25
Website: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/518961-i-weep-for-these-neglected-senior-citizens-doyou.html

IN todays fast-paced society, wealth and scaling the

career ladder have been the yardstick of success. This preoccupation with chasing wealth and status
can often impact negatively on the strength of the extended family unit which gets weakened.
Instead of being rational and caring about the society around them, people nowadays have become
more and more insensitive, egocentric and oblivious to things around them, to say the least.
In recent years, the growing population of old and forsaken senior citizens in Malaysia has been
brought to our attention time and again in the media. The number of senior citizens being sent to old
folks homes increase year after year despite the fact that Malaysians, in general, still uphold
traditional family values.
Hard Truth: The Growing Population Of Abandoned Senior Citizens
What do the statistics say? According to an earlier news report by Agencies, 1 in every 3 elderly
Malaysian risk being neglected and this includes those staying in welfare homes and abandoned in

hospitals. This is a shocking figure, isnt it?

1 in every 3

elderly Malaysian risk being neglected

According to the official portal of Public Service Department of Malaysia, senior citizens are those
above the age of 60 years. Last year, the Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk
Fatimah Abdullah said a report released by the Statistics Department showed senior citizens formed
about 7.9 per cent of the countrys population in 2010. That percentage is projected to increase up to
9.9 percent by 2020 and Malaysia is projected to have a senior citizen population of 15 percent by
2030.
The most unbelievable part is there are about 675,000 elderly parents in the country who did not
receive financial support from their children, according to a survey conducted by the National
Population and Family Development Board in 2004.
On a same note, according to the Social Welfare Department, the number of abandoned old folk had
risen progressively by 1 per cent each year between 2008 and 2011, based on the number of
admission to the nine Rumah Seri Kenanagan homes, the welfare homes run by the Ministry for
abandoned senior citizens.
What Actually Unravel The Ties That Bind?
Malaysian Digest went to the ground to have a firsthand look at senior citizens who are fending for
themselves in the city and to find out what is the real situation. Why are the elderly generation who
should be looked after by their children in their golden years having to eke out a living by selling
wares, food or just begging on the streets?
Are they out there on the streets day after day because they dont have a choice? Or do some prefer
to keep some semblance of independence even as their age makes the daily toil on the streets harder
to keep up each day?
Here are some of their stories:
Mr. Maniam, 74, and Ms. Tanaletchumi, 64 have been coming to the same spot at Jalan Tun Perak,
Kuala Lumpur to sell homemade delicacies for the last 25 years. The couple, who has two daughters,
say they do this everyday to help support their family's high living costs in the city.

Mr. Maniam, 74, and Ms. Tanaletchumi, 64

Scores of senior citizens were also seen begging for public donations in some of the 'hotspots' in the
city centre of Kuala Lumpur. An old lady, 69, who only want to be known as Zhang, was seen begging
for money at Pasar Seni City Bus Hub. When asked why she is begging on the streets, she said that
she is single and has been homeless for a few years. She has been depending on the generosity of
the general public to help her survive day to day.

Scores of elderly beggars can be seen around the city

Can We Depend On Our Societys Filial Piety Or Are Punitive Laws Needed?
Datuk Dr. Soon Ting Kueh, the president of National Council of Senior Citizens Organizations
Malaysia (NASCOM) had stated in a recent news report his disappointment with the increasing
numbers of abandoned old folk and added that NASCOM had proposed a law which allows the

abandoned senior citizens to take legal action against their offspring in the hope to inculcate a sense
of responsibility among their children.
On this subject, Datuk Seri Sharizat Abdul Jalil, Malaysias Women, Family and Community
Development had noted that filial piety is inherent in our culture and only needs to be nurtured by
means other than fines, according to a news report by Agencies earlier. She believes engagement via
advocacy is more practical, rather than a law to punish children who neglect, abandon and abuse their
parents.
Suri Kempe, a legal, advocacy and public education manager for womens rights group (Sisters in
Islam) was quoted as saying that a punitive parent maintenance act will not prevent the unfilial from
dumping their parents in welfare homes or hospitals. She added that more research needs to be
carried out to identify the crux of the problem.
Associate Professor Jesjeet Singh Gill, a consultant psychiatrist of University of Malaya Medical
Center had observed in a statement that unhealthy relationship, resentment from a parents divorce or
remarrying process could also cause abandonment of the aged parents.
Where Can The Elderly And Destitute Turn To For Help?
In looking into the matter of abandoned elderly folks, Malaysian Digest spoke to Foong Peng Lam, the
operations manager of Rumah Kasih Charity Home, a well-known welfare home set up for abandoned
senior
citizens
especially
for
those
who
are
neglected
in
the
hospitals.

Official opening of Rumah Kasih Hospital Kuala Lumpur on the 13rd. March
2002 (From right) Patron Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye Chairman of Board of Visitors HKL Organising Chairman Dr. Ng Thiew Kim
Senior Assistant Director Hospital HKL Advisor Datuk Dr. Hj. Ramlee Director hospital HKL. Pic: rumahkasih.org

When contacted, the operations manager said the abandonment of senior citizens in the country has
become prevalent in recent years.
In order to alleviate the problem, we help to provide free accommodation, food to the abandoned old
folks. Sometimes, we also provide them with stipend during festive seasons, said Foong.
He said Rumah Kasih (since its inception in 2002) had helped more than 500 abandoned patients
from Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), Hospital Selayang,
Hospital Ampang, the Institute of Respiratory Medicine (IPR), among others by providing them with
sanctuaries and food.
Providing shelters and long-term care to abandoned senior citizens is not only what we do, we also
set a good example to the younger generation. We instill positive values in them; we want to be a role
model to them, he told Malaysian Digest.

Another beacon of hope is Anjung Singgah, especially in providing free temporary shelter to the
homeless. It was established by Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
At the moment, the centre is managed by the National Welfare Foundation Malaysia (NWF).
According to NWF chief executive officer Datuk Sayed A. Rahman Sayed Mohd said Anjung Singgah
offered some respite for the homeless, he had stated in a daily news report in April 2013. In the
meantime, NWF work closely with other non-governmental organisations to offer holistic support for
the homeless especially senior citizens and unemployed.
Our Responsibility: Setting A Good Example For The Next Generation To Follow
While some young families want their own space and prefer to stay away from their parents, it is
unacceptable to shirk their moral responsibility and neglect their aged parents regardless of reason.
In the final analysis, all parties have a role to play to ensure our older generation who has contributed
so much to the countrys early development through sheer hard work and sacrifice are not neglected.
From the personal family unit to the federal authorities, state governmental organizations and the
NGOS and welfare homes, all parties have to make the effort to strive to provide for the elderly even
as society becomes more materialistic and the pursuit of individual goals become more important than
family and community well-being.
We should bear in mind that the quality of care given to our parents and the elderly will be the
reflection of how advanced we are as an individual, society and nation as a whole.
Remember, we too will be our parents age one day. And who do you expect to look after you in the
not too distant future?

Article:The sad truth about growing old in Malaysia

Written By Raphael Wong
Published on: Thursday, 10 Oct 2013, 07:15 PM
Website: http://www.seniorsaloud.com/2013/10/the-sad-truth-about-growing-old-in.html
Where do you go when you grow old? In Malaysia, there are not many choices,
especially for those from middle-class families.
The rich and affluent can afford the top of the line nursing or retirement homes, some of
which costs upwards of RM8,000 a month. The poor can look to the government for
assistance, mostly through the Welfare Department and get a place in an old folks
home.
But those in the middle class will be left to fend for themselves. They cannot afford the
high-end nursing or retirement homes, and neither do they qualify for government
assistance a problem that will persist and have a major social impact as the Malaysian
population begins to age rapidly.
According to the Statistics Department, there were 1.4 million Malaysians aged 65 years
and above, or about 5% of the total population in 2010. This number is set to soar to an
estimated 2.2 million by 2020, accounting for 6.8% of the population.
Given that the middle class make up 40% of the population, there will be a huge portion
of the population who will end up growing old either with not enough money to have a
decent retirement or not poor enough to be entitled to state care.
How then do these people cope? There is the old Asian tradition of living off your
offspring but even that is wearing thin. The other is to find an affordable retirement
home, but there is no guarantee that they will offer the right kind of care and services.

Article: MALAYSIA: Old and Abandoned

Source: http://www.seniorsworldchronicle.com/2009/07/malaysia-old-and-abandoned.html
Published date: 29 July 2009
Posted by: royleeken9638
SELANGOR / The Malaysia Star / Citizen's Blog / July 26, 2009 OLD AND ABANDONED A
growing reports of children abandoning their parents in old folks homes or not supporting
them are on the raise in Malaysia. I urge the relevant ministry to enact a law to punish the
errant children! Instead of asking the government to spend more money to build nursing
homes or old folks homes, it would be better if we get the children to care for their elderly
parents. Ive seen many elderly people who have been abandoned in the old folks homes or
hospitals and their children hardly visit them, even on festive occasions. The ministry should
implement a law in so that these ungrateful children can be punished in a court of law before
they are judged under Gods laws in the afterlife. Although some may think its a personal
issue but filial piety to parent are still in the act of any religions! In Singapore, a law was
implemented in 1995 under the Maintenance of Parents Act, which makes it a legal
obligation for children to maintain their parents. The parents or the public can report to the
Social Welfare Department. Certain parties may feel that some elderly parents are neglected
not because their children do not want them, but because the children do not have the
money so the relevant ministry should have schemes and welfare benefits in place to help
the needy or help them to find a solution. For those who really have no time to care for their
parents but can afford it, they can send them to well-run private homes or employ a maid. I
take a pragmatic view that my proposal won't affect the people who already are supporting
their parents, not only with money but, it is hoped, with love and respect. The only ones who
need worry are those who aren't living up to their moral obligations. If the law helps even one
poor person, I think the effort is worth it!

Elderly need care, not neglect and indifference

Posted on October 21, 2012, Sunday
Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/10/21/elderly-need-care-not-neglect-andindifference/#ixzz3JQgD4lM9

PHYSICALLY, the elderly are not longer as able and agile as the young. To most old people, walking can be an
ordeal and crossing the road is even more difficult without help. While it is already hard for most of the aged to
get to the other side of a busy road that has no pedestrian crossing, what is even sadder is that motorists seldom
stop for them.
Old people whose sense of judgement is impaired through ageing, are frequently run over on the road. They can
no longer handle heavy traffic, and left to their own devices, are likely come to grief.
As one observer notes, it seems modern society is built by the young for the young a dynamic creation that
does not give much consideration to the old, sick, handicapped or disabled.
The infirm and frail elderly are usually tolerated as a liability or nuisance, and with self-esteem ripped away from
them, they suffer in silence as they go through what is left of their twilight years.
This busy world is certainly not looking too kindly on old folks. Crossing the road is just one problem the elderly
encounter, another is getting onto a bus. The old timer is usually the last to get on. And even if he manages, he
very likely will have to stand. Rarely does anyone care give up his or her seat for an old man or woman.
In the old days, the family unit was strong. Today, it is breaking up as young men and women travel widely in
search of greener pastures.
Normally, what this entails is neglect with the elderly being left to fend for themselves, most times under very
difficult circumstances.
The more fortunate ageing parents may have a child or two staying with them while the less lucky ones may have
to live out their lives in an old folks home or in their empty house after all the children have flown the roost and
may only return to visit once in a blue moon.
Such a situation poses a very real problem for society and it is what the old dread most being unwanted and
uncared for while on borrowed time.
There are other problems old folks face but none can be as painfully heart-breaking as the indifference and
neglect shown them by their own flesh and blood.
Most senior citizens end up in welfare homes because they are abandoned by their families frequently at public
hospitals which, in turn, have little choice but to turn them over to shelters run by the government or NGOs.
In most cases, family members refuse to take their elderly parents back. Invariably, these public hospitals have to
hand the abandoned old folks to NGOs. Even so, shelters, run by benevolent societies, are mostly full these
days.
According to the Social Welfare Department, between 2008 and 2011, the number of old folks, abandoned by
their families, has steadily gone up one per cent each year. Welfare homes caring for the 60 and above, admitted
340 senior citizens last year compared to 248 in 2010.

Stats from the National Population and Family Development Board, an agency under the Women, Family and
Community Development Ministry, showed that as at 2004 when the Fourth Malaysian Population and Family
Survey was undertaken, over half a million elderly parents were not given financial support by their children.
It is, of course, unfair and incorrect to say all young people desert their parents in their old age. What is obviously
a disturbing trend though is that a lot of sons and daughters are leaving their ageing parents to die at old folks
homes. Why?
In trying to look for an answer, sociologists argue it is important for society to understand the needs of young
people with changing times.
These experts explain that young couples nowadays need to work to support themselves and their own growing
families. As such, most not only send their old parents to welfare homes but their own children to nurseries or
playschools as well just to keep up with the rat race.
While its reasonable for young families to want their own space and privacy, there are some who simply do not
want to look after the elderly due to what is generally referred to as the generation gap manifesting itself in the
lack of understanding and tolerance for the changes in their parents behaviour which could be caused by
insecurity and mental illnesses.
Whatever the reasons that may have caused the young to shirk their responsibility of caring for their elderly
parents, they, nonetheless, still have the moral responsibility to support and cherish them.
After all, the young will themselves become parents and grow old one day and quite naturally, also expect their
own brood to look after them in the final phase of life.
Needless to say, its important to inculcate filial piety in children at a young age. Wholesome family values such
as caring for the elderly spontaneously out of love should be continuously fostered to create a truly caring
Malaysian society.