Universities urged to expand short-term elderly care courses

Universities should expand short-term elderly care courses to produce more trained caregivers ahead of Malaysia becoming an aged nation in 2048, says the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

Its CEO, Shatar Sabran, said quality-verified courses could help people care for their parents while creating opportunities for participants to offer part-time caregiving services.

“I have told the universities to offer short-term courses in elderly care, and these courses must undergo quality verification,” he told FMT.

Shatar said participants who had completed the courses and obtained certificates could be entrusted with caring for the elderly who needed such services.

He said an hourly caregiving model, similar to services offered for children, could be introduced for the elderly, depending on the families’ needs.

He said several universities already offered such courses, but they were not yet widely available and needed to be expanded to meet demand.

On Oct 5, economy minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir said Malaysia had only about 27 years to make comprehensive preparations before becoming an aged nation in 2048, a transition expected to occur much faster than in several developed countries.

Malaysia became an ageing society in 2021, when people aged 65 and above accounted for more than 7% of the population.

It is projected to become an aged society by 2048, when this group is expected to make up 14% of the population, and a super-aged society by 2056-57, when the proportion is projected to exceed 20%.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced an allocation of RM1.3 billion for elderly assistance when tabling the 2027 budget on Oct 9, which is expected to benefit nearly 200,000 recipients.

However, Shatar stressed that elderly care could not be left entirely to the government, and required cooperation among families, NGOs and the wider community.

He said failure to provide proper care could also increase the government’s financial burden, including costs associated with managing unattended deaths and providing care at residential facilities.

On a proposal for the government to grant income tax relief to children who pay their parents’ rent or housing loan instalments, Shatar said the incentive could encourage children to take responsibility for their parents’ welfare, strengthen family ties, and reduce the risk of elderly neglect, including cases of unattended deaths.

“When children remain closely involved in their parents’ lives, they are better able to ensure their well-being.

“At the very least, the risk of cases involving unattended deaths can be reduced, even if we may not be able to eliminate them entirely,” he said.

On Oct 14, the Centre for Community and Housing Development (REACH) proposed that the government introduce a special tax relief for children who pay their parents’ rent or housing loan instalments.

REACH coordinator Iskandar Abdul Samad said the relief should be a separate category from existing tax deductions for parental medical and care expenses, subject to a reasonable annual limit.

Iskandar said many taxpayers pay all or part of their parents’ housing expenses, particularly if they are retired and no longer have a steady income.

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