Rina delivering her speech at the 11th MCHA Conference
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu has the potential to become a leading age-friendly city in Sabah, with efforts requiring the involvement of government agencies, healthcare providers, families, businesses and community organisations, said Datuk Julita Majungki.
The Sabah Minister of Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing said the vision highlighted by the Malaysian Conference on Healthy Ageing (MCHA) was timely as Malaysia moves towards an ageing population and communities need to prepare for the changing demographic landscape.
Julita said healthy ageing should not be viewed solely from the perspective of healthcare, but should also encompass social inclusion, community support, independence and quality of life.
“Creating an age friendly city requires a whole of community approach, where older persons are able to live with dignity, remain independent and continue to participate meaningfully in society,” she said when officiating the 11th Malaysian Conference on Healthy Ageing here on September 11.
Her text speech was delivered by Assistant Minister Datuk Rina Jainal.
Julita said the changing demographic profile also meant greater attention had to be given to how communities, public spaces and services could better respond to the needs of older persons.
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s 2025 population estimates, Malaysians aged 60 and above currently account for about 12.6 per cent of the population, with the figure projected to reach 15 per cent within the next 10 years.
Under Malaysia’s National Policy for Older Persons, reaching the 15 per cent threshold would place Malaysia among ageing nations.
She said this highlighted the importance of preparing communities early, rather than waiting until population ageing became a more immediate challenge.
“The goal is to ensure that people can enjoy longer, healthier and more active lives while remaining connected to their families and communities,” she said.
Also present were 11th MCHA Organising Chairman Dr Wong Teck Wee and Malaysia Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) president Prof Nathan Vytialingam.
