Women, family and community development minister Rina Harun said the percentage of senior citizens (aged above 60) is expected to increase drastically to 5.3 million in the next 10 years.

“In 2020, there were 3.7 million senior citizens in the country.

“This is expected to increase by 15.3% to 5.3 million in 2030,” she said in her speech at the Volunteerism @Pawe: Basic Volunteer Skills Workshop here today.

Rina said studies also showed that almost 23%, or 538,000 of the 2.4 million senior citizens in the country, suffered from the “empty nest syndrome” (feeling lonely and sad) because they are staying on their own, away from their children.

This loneliness and depression affected their health and limited their role as members of society, she added.

Rina said the government, through the ministry, will emphasise under its Strategic Plan 2021-2025 on the welfare of senior citizens in the country.

She said under the 2021 budget, the government had raised the annual financial aid for each Senior Citizen Activity Centre (Pawe) from RM33,330 to RM50,000.

This to help these centres carry out programmes and activities in line with the concept of active and productive senior citizens.

The government has allocated RM7.15 million this year for the operation of 143 Pawe nationwide. This reflected its commitment to improve the quality of life of senior citizens, she added.