KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 -- The challenges posed by Malaysia’s rapid changes towards the ageing demographic by 2045, especially in the area of Islamic Aged Care must be identified and addressed with actionable solutions. Group chief executive officer of Seterra Group of Companies, Rashidi Yahaya said it is because there are certain requirements that need to be met in order for thegroup to enjoy a peaceful quality of life of spiritual readiness and dignified aging.

“Unfortunately, currently in Malaysia there is a severe lack of quality Islamic aged care homes, as most of them are established based on individual or private initiatives with a lack of funding and sustainability. “This is why we have taken the initiative to organise the Seterra Dialogue: Islamic Aged Care 2022 or SEDia22 to encourage and foster in-depth conversations and collaborations by bringing together ecosystems from all over the world to chart the way forward for Islamic aged care in Malaysia ” he said in his welcoming speech at the event that was held online today. According to Rashidi, the dialogue involved influencers, government bodies, federal and state religious councils, industry operators, financial institutions, and foreign investors. “This is what Seterra aims to do and transform the current dire straits of Islamic Aged Care in Malaysia and our first step on this journey is to gather all stakeholders to come to SEDia22 to identify solutions,” Rashidi said. 

Echoing the same sentiment, OKU Sentral president Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi who officiated the dialogue said, in Malaysia, seven per cent of Malaysia’s population or 2.2 million people were over the age of 65 and the number would increase to 14 per cent or 5.5 million people in 2044. “This (the dialogue) is indeed encouraging and timely as the solution to our Islamic Aged Care problems needs a holistic approach by every agency that deals with it,” she said.

“I am grateful that Seterra has taken the initiative to discuss the issues including the definition of Islamic Aged Care, the sustainability and future of these Islamic Aged Care homes. “Among other issues discussed are the minimum standards that are required for this type of care, the issue of trained caregivers, post-retirement wealth management and the legislation regarding the setting up of an aged care home,” she said. SEDia22 gathered various local stakeholders including the government, religious departments and aged care experts as well as from Brunei and Indonesia to discuss the matter.


-- BERNAMA

Published by BERNAMA on 22 February 2022

Tarikh Input: 26/02/2022 | Kemaskini: 22/03/2022 | lizamdnor