Enhance Financial Security

As reported in The Star
EPF told to work out better safety net scheme for senior citizens

LONGER life span and higher cost of living including higher fees for medical treatment and care are affecting the livelihood of senior citizens.



Penang Town, Country Planning and Housing Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said there were cases of senior citizens with low income using up their Employees Provident Fund several years after their retirement.

“Financial security in old age has become very important for retired people,” he said when representing the Penang Chief Minister at the Senior Citizens’ Day celebration at Silver Jubilee Home for the Aged in Sungai Dua, Penang.

“The EPF Board is in a collaboration with Universiti Malaya to conduct policy research to enhance the financial scheme for the elderly.

“I’d like to urge the board and academicians to work out a better scheme to ensure a stronger and more secure safety net for senior citizens,” said Wong, who is also Air Itam assemblyman.

He added that the state government was currently working on plans to aid senior citizens with financial problems and to eradicate poverty.

“We are doing so by giving assistance according to their needs in terms of employment and financial aid after assessing their financial positions,” he said.

He also said that family ties were not so close-knit nowadays as the young sought economic opportunities in distant places.

A total of 500 senior citizens from the home, Penang Home, Rumah Sejahtera Permatang Tinggi, Charis Home, St Nicholas Home and Persatuan Rumah Cahaya Harapan attended the celebration.

They enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and were entertained with karaoke singing sessions by home residents and the Teoh Clan Association Singing Class.

As reported in Sinchew Jit Poh.

黃漢偉：提供更佳保障‧公積金機制應改善

（檳城）檳州行政議員黃漢偉希望公積金局及其它學術單位，研究一套更良好的系統改善現有公積金機制，確保人民退休後的生活不會因為生活費而煩惱。

他說，當下的年輕人缺乏孝親敬老觀念，加上時代進步，醫療設備先進，國民壽命增長，使生活負擔越來越重，樂齡人士生活費包括醫藥費大大提高。
“在此種種情況下，公積金局務必須著手研究及擬定更好的方案，確保退休人士生活更健全，讓他們能善用退休金。”

賴銀禧老人院樂齡日

黃漢偉週日（5日）代表檳州首席部長林冠英出席雙溪賴銀禧老人院主辦的樂齡日致詞時，這麼說。

來自湖內恩惠愛老院、盲人之家、峇東陽光之家、病老院、平安院及銀禧老人院等逾500名老人出席盛會。

檳女獅子會負責當天的歌唱節目，而銀禧老人院也準備餐招待老人及出席者。會上，銀禧老人院管理委員會主席拿督邱吉海也受邀致詞。

出席者包括銀禧老人院管理委員會信理員拿督斯里吳永盾、委員拿督斯里溫振祥、丹斯里陳國平、州議員郭庭愷等人。