PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry (MOHE) backs expediting the Senior Citizens Bill as part of efforts to strengthen the legal framework for older people’s rights, facilities and services.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the 2025 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) shows action and intervention for older people cannot wait and must be bolstered via a comprehensive whole-of-government approach.
He said the bill is key to bolstering existing policies such as the Elderly Healthcare Services Action Plan 2023-2030 and National Dementia Action Plan 2023-2030, while strengthening protections for older people.
“This Senior Citizens Bill must be fast-tracked. It’s part of the legal framework for their rights, including facilities and services, all spelled out in the bill and absolutely vital,” he said at a press conference after launching the 2025 NHMS Findings: Elderly Health here today.
Dzulkefly said interventions for older people should not start only when they reach their 60s, but earlier, from age 50.
He said it is vital to detect and tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs), cognitive decline, frailty, falls and sarcopenia early, before they worsen.
“If we start too late, we’ll always be playing catch-up and stuck in endless crisis mode,” he said.
He said the MOHE fully supports a whole-of-government push to expedite the bill, given ageing affects health, welfare, community support and national readiness.
In June 2025, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the government had completed the draft of the Senior Citizens Bill to safeguard their rights and welfare, and expected it to be tabled in Parliament in 2026.
The new law will offer broader legal safeguards, particularly against elder neglect, abuse and exploitation. – BERNAMA
