Yeoh moots dedicated ministry for seniors

Malaysia should consider setting up a Senior Citizens Ministry to ensure the needs and welfare of its ageing population receive greater attention in policymaking, budget allocation and national development.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said senior citizens remained an underserved group with no dedicated government agency overseeing their needs.

Policymakers, she said, must move beyond the perception that older people were no longer productive or interested in working, and recognise their potential to remain active contributors to society.

"Until and unless you have a designated ministry (for senior citizens), advocates, policymakers, budgets set aside for them, you have people putting on the lens of a senior citizen when looking into amendments to the law. All that will require the energy and resources of a particular ministry."

Yeoh was speaking as a panellist at the High-Level Forum on the Silver Economy 2026: Healthy Longevity for Economic Growth, during a session titled "Built for Every Age: Cities, Work, and the Environments That Extend Health and Enterprise", here yesterday.

Without dedicated institutional support, she added, the needs of senior citizens could be overlooked.

Yeoh also highlighted the social and emotional needs of older people, particularly those who were single or widowed.

She said safe spaces for senior citizens to socialise and build companionship should be part of broader ageing policies, rather than limiting programmes to health screenings and financial planning.

Meanwhile, the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department is drafting a Mental Capacity Act to strengthen legal protections for older people.

Its assistant director, Nur Shahkierin Abd Manan, said the proposed law would cover mental capacity issues — including decision-making on healthcare, welfare and property — and complement the proposed Senior Citizen Bill.

"The Mental Capacity Act focuses on welfare and aims to prevent abuse and neglect of older people," she said during a session titled "Law in Ageing Societies".

Nur Shahkierin said a town hall session involving state muftis and the Syariah Judiciary Department would be held this month to gather syariah perspectives and ensure the proposed framework took into account state jurisdiction over syariah matters.