Imagine a Sarawak where our parents and grandparents, from the bustling neighbourhoods of Kuching to the quiet longhouses of the interior, wake up each morning knowing they are seen, valued, and actively included. That future isn’t a distant dream; it’s a choice we can make today. Our state is ageing, and that’s a beautiful sign of progress. But it also comes with a profound, loving responsibility. The good news? We’ve already laid a strong foundation. Now, together, we can build a home where no elder is ever left behind.
Our Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg has cast a bold vision of a truly age-friendly Sarawak. Look at what we’ve already achieved with heart and determination. The Kenyalang Gold Card has put meaningful discounts, rebates, and a compassionate RM1,800 funeral benefit into the hands of over 342,000 seniors. The RM50 million Senior Citizen Health Benefit lets low-income elders see a doctor cashless, up to RM500 a year, a genuine lifeline for thousands of families. Our 29 Pusat Aktiviti Warga Emas and 8 service centres hum with laughter, exercise classes, and intergenerational connection. A new training centre at CENTEXS Dalat will soon produce dedicated, skilled caregivers in geriatric and palliative care. And the proposed Time Bank, where caring hours given today can become care credits for tomorrow, is a stroke of genius that honours the love we pour into one another.
Yet even with all this progress, a gap remains, and it’s a gap we feel in our hearts. For every senior who easily taps a smartphone to activate a virtual gold card, there is an elderly Iban grandmother in a remote longhouse who has never used the internet and may never know these benefits exist. For every smooth clinic visit, there are stories of identity fraud and of deserving elders turned away because they couldn’t navigate a digital form. Rural communities, those living with dementia without support, and family caregivers stretched to their limits, are quietly calling for a more inclusive embrace. We can answer that call with practicality, kindness, and a plan that truly reaches everyone.
Here’s how we can bridge that gap together, in ways that are comprehensive, doable, and firmly rooted in our shared values.
First, let’s make our promises legally real. Sarawak needs its own Ageing Blueprint, harmonised with the national plan but tailored to our unique geography and communities. This blueprint must have binding targets, dedicated funding, and an independent monitor. Importantly, it should guarantee that older persons themselves help design the policies that affect them, genuine advocacy, not token consultation.
Second, bring care to the doorstep. Let’s scale mobile geriatric clinics across all rural districts, staffed with multidisciplinary teams, telehealth links to specialists, and trained community health workers who can spot dementia early. This is nurturing in its purest form: going the extra mile so that no senior is forced to choose between a day-long journey and their health.
Third, close the digital divide with a warm heart. No benefit scheme, not the Gold Card, not the health benefit, should ever be accessible only online. We must offer offline registration and verification as a right, not a favour. Pair that with senior-friendly digital literacy classes run through our activity centres, where tech-savvy older adults become community digital ambassadors. True kindness means removing barriers, not just building faster apps.
Fourth, value care as a community treasure. Let’s pilot the brilliant Time Bank model in an urban, semi-urban, and rural district, so neighbours can earn care credits that honour their time and compassion. At the same time, expand the CENTEXS caregiver training into a full Geriatric and Dementia Care Institute with satellite campuses in Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri. This builds lasting resilience, turning family members and volunteers into a skilled, confident care workforce.
Fifth, weave generations together. Embed an Intergenerational Solidarity Framework in our schools. Imagine every secondary school adopting a nearby senior activity centre, where students teach elders to video-call grandchildren, and elders share oral histories and life wisdom. That’s authenticity, recognising older persons as vibrant contributors, not just recipients of help.
Sixth, protect our schemes with transparency. Reform the health benefit with secure one-time password verification, a fraud investigation team, and a public grievance platform. Regularly adjust the income eligibility so inflation doesn’t quietly rob our neediest elders. This builds the trust that every ringgit reaches its intended hand.
Seventh, measure what matters. Create an ESG-Aligned Ageing Index that publicly tracks elder employment, accessible infrastructure, healthcare equity, and social participation. What we measure, we can improve, and attract socially responsible investment aligned with our PCDS 2030 goals.
Eighth, give elders an independent voice. Establish a Commissioner for Older Persons, empowered to investigate complaints, hold systemic inquiries, and make binding recommendations. This turns “advocacy” from a word into a force.
Finally, communicate with heart, not just loudspeakers. All our programmes must invite two-way dialogue. Let longhouse chiefs, caregivers, and elders themselves co-create solutions in district-level forums. Use culturally resonant messages in local dialects to challenge ageist stereotypes and promote preventive health. Build trust through clear reporting on fund use and responsive feedback loops, and keep improving based on real data.
The Premier often says he wants a Sarawak where people don’t merely live longer but live better. The federal government’s landmark National Ageing Blueprint and the RM1.26 billion elder welfare allocation for 2026 show that we are not walking this path alone. But the distance between a policy document and a warm hand holding an elder’s hand remains too wide.
We can close that distance. Every ringgit wisely invested, every rural clinic deployed, every digital door opened, and every young person who learns to honour their elders is a stone laid on a path to a compassionate future. Let’s pledge today that in Sarawak, ageing will never mean fading away, it will mean being surrounded by respect, care, and the unshakable knowledge that you belong. Our elders built the Sarawak we love. Now, with courage and kindness, let’s build a Sarawak that loves them back.
From Progress to Practice: Closing the Gap with Practical Love
An ageing Sarawak is a mark of our progress, and an opportunity to become a more caring society. Initiatives like the Kenyalang Gold Card, Senior Citizen Health Benefit, and community activity centres already bring hope to many. However, rural elders, those without digital access, and dementia patients still wait for our embrace. We must close this gap through practical love: mobile geriatric clinics, offline registration pathways, and strong intergenerational bonds. Each step we take, from longhouse to city, transforms policy into genuine care. Let us walk this path together, ensuring every elder lives with the dignity and joy they deserve.
References
Bernama. (2025, October 28). Premier: S’wak’s rising ageing population ‘a sign of progress’ but must come with dignity, inclusion. DayakDaily.
Sarawak Tribune. (2025, November 24). Additional RM50 mln for senior citizens.
Sarawak Tribune. (2025, November 6). Sarawak striving to make ageing a shared responsibility.
The Sun. (2026, April 29). Sarawak races to expand affordable community and palliative care ahead of 2028 ‘aged state’ status.
RTM. (2025, August 8). RMK13: A transformative national agenda for ageing in Malaysia.
Bernama. (2025, October 10). Budget 2026: Govt raises senior citizens’ welfare allocation to RM1.26 bln.
Borneo Post Online. (2026, May 2). Kuching South proposed as pilot city for S’wak’s healthy ageing programme.
