5 things the Msian govt is doing to help senior citizens

You know what they say, old is gold. Or in this case, old gets you gold (?) According to the department of statistics, 15% of our population is expected to exceed 60 years of age.  In other words, we are on our way to becoming an aging society by the year 2030. What is worrying is that most people do not have enough saved up in their EPF to sustain their post retirement needs. Only 18% of members have the minimum savings target of RM 228,000 in their account by 55 years of age.

So whether you are doing your part by being a responsible child, you want to help mom and dad help themselves, or maybe you’re about to fit the label yourself, here are some government aids to help senior citizens. 

1. Financial aid from social welfare (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat)

Who is it for?:

Malaysian senior citizens (those aged 60 and above) who do not live in any JKM institutions or day care centres, and whose household income does not exceed the current Pendapatan Garis Kemiskinan (PGK) or other deserving cases worthy of consideration.

What is it?:

Financial aid of RM350 monthly to help the elderly with the cost of living.  On a side note, did you know that laws to protect social welfare are provided for in Article 74 of our Federal Constitution? The act reads;

*TLDR: Number one on the Concurrent list of our Constitution = Social welfare.

How to apply?:

An application is to be made to a social welfare office of your state. An application form for financial aid can be found [here]. A strict means test will be used to verify if the applicant is really deserving. This means that officers would also conduct investigations to check whether your application is genuine. An applicant has to bring supporting documents, birth cert and other relevant documents to help your case. 

2. Concession Card for using Public Transport

Who is it for?:

Senior Citizens (those aged 60 and above), OKU, Students

What is it?:

 A Rapid card which subsidises the cost of travelling via public transport by 50% and can be used in Rapid buses, LRT, Monorail, BRT. (Excludes Gombak, Ampang, SunU-Monash Brt and *MRT*) , OR ...

Unlimited travel through all public transport for RM100 (MY100) for 30 consecutive days to be used through your IC. Okay, so this one is not exclusively limited to senior citizens, but it could very well benefit them if they need to travel frequently? 

How to apply?: 

For the 50% discount rate (Rapid Card), an application must be done in the Pasar Seni hub which opens from 9am to 4pm. An applicant would have to pay RM15 for a card with an initial value of RM10 inside. Subsequent reloads can be made at all Rapid KL, BRT, LRT, Monorail stations, and TNG reload points. The form to apply for the card can be found [here] , while online registration forms can be found [here].

As for the MyKad concession discount, you just have to pay the respective fee. In addition to the RM100 reload, you would need to have a minimum value of RM5 for rail and RM3 for bus in your IC. You can make this application in all BRT, MRT and LRT stations, or one of the 5 bus hubs as listed below: 

• Pasar Seni 
• Seksyen 2, Shah Alam 
• Sri Nilam 
•  Greenwood 
• Terminal Kajang

3. Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH):

Who is it for?:

Divided into 2 categories, namely ‘Isi rumah ‘, and ‘bujang’. Which means, yes, this government aid covers a range of people and the good news is that senior citizens who are single could also benefit from this scheme.

What is it?:
Upon application, successful applicants will receive an amount deposited into their account to help with the rising living costs. You might even say it is a rebranding of the former ‘Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia’ BR1M, but in fact it is structurally different. For starters, your combined household income cannot exceed RM4,000 (and in instances where one is single, RM900).  This is to ensure that only the deserving receives such an aid. More information on qualification can be found here.

How do you apply?:
Registration for BSH opens from 1st February 2020 till 15th March 2020.(SO HURRY UP.)

Applications can be made through a form downloadable here, through a mobile app, or by walking into any branches of LHDNM. Complete forms are to be sent via post to Peti Surat BSH GPO Shah Alam 40800 Selangor or any LHDNM branches. (Emails or fax are not accepted!) An applicant would have to provide a copy of original documents of marriage certificate, death certificate, divorce certificate or ‘decree nisi’—(an interim before a full divorce). For widows and widowers, a copy of your spouse’s IC/passport, or for children, a copy of IC/Birth Certificate is needed.

4. Food Bank Program

What started out as an initiative from Penang has since been extended to the whole country, beginning December 2018.

“RM25 million will be allocated towards managing, administrating and expanding the Food Bank programme nationwide – an initiative to distribute 3,000 metric tonnes of excess food to be donated to target groups, especially those in the B40 category,”
- Lim Guan Eng, Finance Minister

Who is it for? :
So yes, another government aid which covers a wider range of people but could also benefit senior citizens. This program is currently actively catering to university students.

In a nutshell, it is meant to benefit those earning within the B40 group and public university students .

What is it? :
Did you know, Malaysians produce around 15,000 tons of food waste daily, of which 3,000 tons are still edible!? In 2018, The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in partnership with Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia launched a Food Bank program. This was done to reduce the cost of living for local consumers with participating supermarkets, Pasar Tani, food producers, restaurants and hotels. So basically, what happens is that the main partners collect groceries from the supermarkets involved before distributing them to the target groups in specific zones. Companies such as Gardenia have pledged over RM80,000.00 for food bank. Besides that,531,567 households living below poverty lines have benefited as of February 2020. In addition it is a great initiative to tackle food waste.

How do I get this?:

Proceed to one of the distribution centres. The first one-stop centre for the food bank program was expected to operate in February 2019, in Bukit Angkat, Kajang. 

5. Peduli Sihat Scheme (Selangor Only)

Who is it for?:

Those born/living in Selangor for >10 years who fall within the B40 category. As such, this would cover senior citizens as well who could greatly benefit from this program

What is it?:
Subsidises the cost of treatment for those with a monthly income of RM1,500 and below (single household) or RM2,000 and below (married couple household). Both impose a RM70 cap per one-off treatment , whereas an annual limit of RM500 for families and RM200 for individuals. Additionally , there is a special rate for vaccinations—(i.e Pneumococcal, Meningococcal, Typhoid, Influenza and Hepatitis B). Besides that, those earning between RM2,000 –RM8,000 who obtain a referral from one of the Peduli Sihat scheme government panel hospitals or special approval from EXCO/Selangor Govt can receive free heart treatment dependent upon the amount of applicants approved by Selangor Govt.
 

How do you apply?:
Visit one of the 1,000 registered clinics within Selangor and the Klang Valley. Successful applicants receive a ‘Peduli Kesihatan’ card. The main account holder of this card including the dependents (wife, kids under 21 years of age) can receive treatment in registered clinics according to usage limits and set qualifications. Registered clinics have a right to charge a consultation fee which is not too taxing in line with the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA). For those who want to apply for the ‘Skim Jantung’, the application form can be downloaded [here]. An applicant can contact SELCARE (the body in charge of approving applications) via 03-5525 6600 for further information.

And there you have it folks, 5 things which can help senior citizens!
...Although, let’s be real, there are a zillion simple acts you can do for them (without Government intervention) --like being around , holding their hand, hearing their stories, explaining the internet..

The govt is creating new laws for senior citizens

Speaking of acts, in 2019, a Bill to protect the rights of the elderly was in the works. This bill is based on an ongoing 15 month study by UM to analyse the scope, content and approach for our first consolidated law exclusively for senior citizens. In addition, UKM was mandated by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to conduct an 18 month study. If passed, children who neglect, abuse or abandon their parents could be penalised by the law.

“Among the expected outcome of this study would be a proposal for an LTC (long-term care) model — complete with an action plan, including the human resources required, sustainable financing model and proposed locations to conduct the pilot projects,” --Dr Wan Azizah

So if the study proves to be fruitful,  it’s out with the old [laws] and in with the new ! Perhaps we could be witnessing a big step forward for our country’s welfare schemes for the elderly in the near future.