Proposal To Redefine Elderly Rejected Rina Harun

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Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun has clarified that the proposal to redefine senior citizens in the country as those from age 60 to 65 was merely a proposal which she had not approved.
Therefore, she urged all quarters to stop causing confusion and politicising the matter and focus on efforts to further strengthen the well-being and life of the community, especially the family.
"I chaired the meeting, but I did not even agree (to the proposal). It was a proposal that we discussed because we saw an improvement in health and so on. 
"It was just a discussion paper, not a decision or the policy of the ministry," she told reporters after launching the #JomChillOut@Kafe Teen Programme today.
She said by 2030, senior citizens aged 60 and above will make up 15 percent of the country’s population and thus efforts must be made by the ministry to prepare for it.
The proposal to raise the age definition for the elderly was discussed during a meeting of the National Senior Citizens Advisory and Consultative Council on Thursday which sparked protests on social media.


On the #JomChillOut @ Kafe Teen Programme, Rina said it was held to enable youths aged between 13 and 24 to access services provided by Kafe Teen in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The three-day programme offers counselling sessions, information on reproductive health and social matters, free Internet and printer usage as well as other activities.
The mobile Kafe Teen is an extension of the Kafe Teen youth centres under the ministry set up in 2005 that seek to create skilful, happy and healthy youths, she added.
Rina said the ministry plans to set up 10 mobile Kafe Teen next year targeting the participation of one million youths nationwide.
- Bernama 

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