By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 12: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has handed its Age-Friendly City Action Plan to the World Health Organization (WHO) as the city prepares for the needs of an ageing population.
In a recent statement, the plan was handed over by MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng to WHO Representative for Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe during the latter’s courtesy call at MBKS today.
The meeting also explored how MBKS’s experience in preparing Kuching South for an ageing population could contribute to the broader healthy ageing and Age-friendly Cities and Communities agenda across Sarawak.
Wee shared several initiatives undertaken by MBKS, with discussions covering age-friendly public spaces, accessibility, social participation, community engagement and programmes promoting active and healthy living.
He said preparing for an ageing society required cooperation across sectors and should take into account the needs and voices of older persons.
However, healthy ageing should not only be addressed when people reach old age, as the approach should begin from childhood.
“We also discussed the need to start young already with school-aged children to ensure a life course approach to healthy ageing,” he said.
Wee also stressed that measures introduced to make cities safer, more accessible and inclusive for older people could benefit residents of all ages.
“Building an age-friendly city is not only about meeting the needs of senior citizens. By making our city safer, more accessible and inclusive, we are improving the quality of life for everyone,” he said.
The discussion also provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange experiences on ageing-related initiatives and identify areas for further cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Dr Rabindra was accompanied by WHO officers Dr Ruben Ramakrishnan and Dr Isabel Espinosa, while Wee was joined by MBKS councillors Cr Judy Kho and Cr Othman Bujang, as well as senior council officers.
MBKS said it looked forward to continued engagement with WHO and other stakeholders to strengthen healthy ageing initiatives and support the development of more age-friendly communities in Kuching South and across Sarawak. — DayakDaily
