KUCHING: The Sarawak government is gearing up to tackle the challenges of an ageing population by emphasising proactive measures through strategic collaboration and comprehensive research initiatives.

Sarawak Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the state is expected to age more quickly than other regions in Malaysia due to declining fertility and birth rates.

“Based on statistics, several areas in Sarawak have reached a point where 15 per cent of the population is made up of senior citizens, and we need to prepare for this situation.

“This includes collaboration with a consortium comprising Swinburne University, Curtin University, and the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) to study the profile of the elderly in Sarawak. This research will allow us to identify strengths and weaknesses that need to be addressed so that senior citizens can live in a state of wellbeing and safety,” she stated.

She made these remarks during an interview with the media after the closing ceremony of the Bizchat Affin Bank event here, on Thursday.

Dato Sri Fatimah added that a collaboration with Affin Bank is being planned for a study on the social wellbeing index, with the aim of improving the wellbeing of the people in various areas to ensure that Sarawak achieves 12 wellbeing indicators by 2026.

At the same event, she also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Affin Bank and the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), the Sarawak Chamber of Bumiputera Entrepreneurs (DUBS) Kuching Branch, and Chemsain Sustainability Sdn Bhd. -UKASnews