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KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has called for cities and urban environments to be age and gender friendly as the nation prepares for demographic change.
Speaking at the Malaysian Urban Forum here today, Muhyiddin said that Malaysia will become an aging society by 2045, by which time 14% of the population will be 65 or older.
“This will bring new challenges in the needs of health services and the physical environment.
“It is time that we address the aging of society in our national development plans and reconsider our planning and physical development to meet the needs of the aging community,” he said.
Muhyiddin said that 77% of the population resides in urban areas, a statistic that is expected to increase to 80%, or 26 million people, by 2030.
With such large populations in cities, he said, Malaysia will face even more challenges in meeting the needs of urban societies.
In addition to managing the waste generated, overcoming growing traffic and air pollution problems and providing affordable housing, Muhyiddin said Malaysia needs to ensure sufficient access to water, uninterrupted electricity supply, provide quality access to public transport and telecommunications, as well as overcoming the serious floods in the cities.
The Malaysian Urban Forum is a nationwide forum that aims to promote inclusive debates and discussions to develop and improve the country’s urbanization strategies, policies and actions.
