2027 Budget: Elderly care plans face execution test
KUALA LUMPUR: Caring for ageing parents while raising children of their own places a double burden on some families, as medical bills, professional care and daily expenses will stretch household budgets. Therefore, the 2027 Budget has raised hopes of greater support, but elderly care service providers and senior citizens say effective implementation will be key to easing the strain. National…
In Malaysia's 2027 Budget, plans for elderly care face a crucial implementation test as families juggle caring for ageing parents and raising their own children. The government's allocation of over RM40 million to train 8,000 caregivers and the reduction in service tax from 8% to 6% are among the measures aimed at easing the financial burden on families.
National Secretary of the Association of Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (Agecope) Fong Muntoh hailed the budget as a long-awaited breakthrough, noting the inclusion of support for training, research, and elderly care services. Senior care activist Tony Lian emphasised the need for a shared responsibility in caring for the elderly, praising the RM1.3 billion allocation for Bantuan Warga Emas and the tax relief for family caregivers.
However, Lian also expressed concern for the estimated 65,000 homeless elderly people in the country. C.K. Leong called for safer, more accessible public facilities to support the elderly's independence, suggesting the installation of lifts in older walk-up apartment blocks. P. Inahsav highlighted the potential challenges faced by private-sector retirees, suggesting a raise in the private-sector retirement age to 65 to allow healthy individuals to continue working.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
