By DayakDaily Team
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4: The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) has called for programmes to evolve in response to changing environments and societal needs, while safeguarding dignity and ensuring no one is left behind.
During a meeting with AFPPD chairperson and Japan MP Yoko Kamikawa, Works Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, also president of AFPPD Malaysia, said that as societies change, AFPPD must also continue to evolve.
“Programmes that were effective in the past must be reviewed against the realities of today—from rapidly ageing populations and the needs of disadvantaged women and children to the opportunities and vulnerabilities created by an increasingly digital society,” he said in a Facebook post.
Using digital technology as an example, he said that while it has become essential in improving access, communication and efficiency, they must recognise that it can also leave some people behind—particularly those from the older generation who may find it difficult to adapt to new technologies.
Nanta, who is also a Kapit MP, said this question of digital vulnerability is an area where countries can learn a great deal from one another, including from experiences and discussions emerging from Australia and elsewhere in the region.
“Our focus must therefore be on developing programmes that respond to changing environments and changing times, while protecting dignity and ensuring no one is excluded from progress,” he said.
Touching on the establishment of the AFPPD Global Secretariat in Malaysia, he said that it marks an important new milestone for the organisation.
“As AFPPD strengthens its institutional standing and expands its international role, Malaysia looks forward to working closely with Hon. Kamikawa and all our partners to build on the strong foundations laid over many years.
“This is a new home for AFPPD, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to renew our collective purpose—to turn cooperation into action, ideas into programmes, and programmes into outcomes that improve lives across Asia and the Pacific,” he said. — DayakDaily
